"Everything" Chicken Sandwich Melts

This is one of those recipes that takes up more than one page, which means I was very reluctant to make it <--- that's the lazy girl in me. It doesn't matter that this looks amazing and every time I flip through to make something I think to myself "Why haven't I made that?" and then I remember it's because the ingredient list consists of 20 different items (yes, I counted). However, I am on vacation and decided there really wasn't a better time because I pretty much have nothing but time.

I should probably mention that the 20 different items are made up of mostly spices, making this much less complicated than I lead on. Basically, you toss some spices together in a few different bowls, coat the chicken, and fry away. It's really not that hard.

That being said, I have mentioned on more than one occasion that I do not...and I mean I do not, have any luck with frying meats. I tried to blame it on Chrissy at first, but if I'm being honest with myself I have to realize that this all can't be a strange coincidence. The failed fried meats all have one thing in common: Me. (Well... and this cookbook, but I'm looking past that). I will say that this is the first time I did not follow the recipe to the "T" in that I thought I had canola oil on hand, but I was mistaken. Because I did not realize this until the chicken was already coated, I substituted with what I did have...which was vegetable oil.

Now, I remember reading somewhere a while ago that different oils have differences when heated...something about how you should use this oil for that, etc. and there is a legitimate reason for it...OK maybe I don't remember exactly what it said, but it doesn't change the fact that I was aware that something could go wrong by switching up the frying oil. Are you sensing some foreshadowing here, because I'm laying it on pretty thick.

So I filled my pan with the oil and turned it onto medium heat as instructed. The moment I put the chicken in I knew it was over. They browned immediately. And then they got darker and darker very quickly, but I was determined to leave them in for the specified 2 minutes. When I took them out the breading was burned, obviously. The skeptic in me also just had to know if 2 minutes was enough time to cook them through, so I cut one open and it was perfect. Perfect. If it weren't for the burnt coating I would have nailed it.

This is about the time that Collin decided to waltz in and check things out, by they way. He actually told me to cut him off a little piece to see if it was still good and if you haven't noticed by now, Collin is a picky eater so this surprised me. I was even more surprised when he said it was good. Yes, you read that correctly.

Anyway, I turned the heat down to medium and tossed in the other two chicken breasts and they turned out a little less burnt...but not by much:

I ran out of tomato and cheese so the back one on the right is a little sad. Burnt and sad.

These just look hilarious. Here's a close up of one on my white plate.

No, that's not a burger. There is chicken under there.

And despite the singed outer layer, the perfectly cooked chicken underneath:

It makes no sense.

As far as taste goes, these were a bit too spicy to give to the kids so they had something else, but these were pretty good. I did dip mine in ketchup - it was pretty good that way actually - and Collin ate TWO of these. He even ate the tomato and I really thought he would pick it off because he doesn't particularly like tomato. 

What a strange dinner.