Chicken Muffuletta

Prep Time: 0 Minutes

Cook Time: 0 Minutes

Ready In: 0 Minutes

Servings: 12

This make-ahead sandwich is a lighter take on an old New Orleans favorite. Use a fork to scrape the bread and hollow the loaves.

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped seeded tomato (about 2 medium)

cooking spray

8 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/3 cups chopped pimiento-stuffed olives (about 7 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini (about 5 medium)

4 ounces sharp provolone cheese, finely diced (about 1 cup)

2/3 cup (2 ounces) chopped reduced-fat hard salami

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 (8-ounce) loaves french bread

1 pound skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Spread tomato evenly onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add eggplant and onion; sauté 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender and beginning to brown. Stir in thyme and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Spoon eggplant mixture into a large bowl.
3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add tomato; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir tomato into eggplant mixture. Cool to room temperature.
4. Stir olives and next 5 ingredients (through vinegar) into eggplant mixture.
5. Cut French bread loaves in half horizontally. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Spread about 3 tablespoons olive mixture over bottom half of each loaf. Arrange chicken evenly on bottom halves. Top chicken evenly with remaining 3 tablespoons olive mixture; cover with top halves of loaves. Wrap loaves with plastic wrap; refrigerate up to 24 hours. Cut each loaf into 3 pieces just before serving.

By RecipeOfHealth.com