Turn your leftover chicken into a simple and light chicken caesar salad tartine! Patio/picnic friendly summer meal, and easy enough to throw together for a quick lunch.Â
Tartines, or fancy toasts, are all the rage right now. If I click over to my Instagram explore page, I can almost promise that 99% of the images are either some sort of bowl (smoothie bowl, buddha bowl, etc.) or some sort of toast (avocado toast, sweet potato toast etc.)
I am not hating on this trend. I am fully on the toast bandwagon.
Even before bread and carbs were the enemy (they’re actually not, FYI), I was never much of a bread or sandwich eater. Texture plays a major role in determining which foods I like and which I don’t, and bread is always a bit too squishy and soft for my palette.
I tend to only like the crusty outsides, or the heels of the bread.
Toast, however, is a staple in my diet. I like my toast “well done”. The crustier and crunchier, the better.
Most days begin with a slice of toast with peanut butter, but now that toast is trending, my mind is conjuring up new ways to enjoy toast all day long.
Toast is a great canvas for all flavors. Like I said, just take a quick peek over on Instagram and you’ll see every type of toast topping from bananas, nut butters, and other types of fruit, to lox, cheeses, and eggs. That’s not all. There are entire Instagram accounts dedicated entirely to toast like @toastsforall
I generally gravitate towards savory over sweet, so my contribution to this snapshot in our culinary history are these chicken caesar salad tartines (fancy toasts).
Leftover Chicken Caesar Salad Tartines
Leftover chicken is what inspired these tartines. Why not slap last night’s dinner on to today’s slice of toast and call it lunch?
Plus, I had recently made a trip to Tartine Manufactory  and had a fresh baked loaf of the best crusty bread ever.
I shredded the chicken, mixed it with some store-bought caesar dressing, then piled it on this gorgeous bread with some massaged kale, shredded parmesan, and crispy chicken skin (you can never have enough crunch!).
The result was a pretty epic summer supper if you ask me. Light, fresh, easy to prepare. Excellent for patio dining.
Now that I just typed that, it got me thinking of what a “winter tartine” might be like. Mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce? Poached pears? Pumpkin?
Stay tuned for more tartine madness to come! If you can’t wait that long, here’s a couple of super epic looking tartines I saw on pinterest.
Grilled Fig Tartines (Fall?)
Caramelized Pear, Brie and Honey Tartines (Winter?)
Fresh Pea and Ricotta Tartines with Spring Vegetables (Spring?)
If you decide to venture into toastland, be sure to tag me, @betsylife on Instagram or Facebook so I can see what you made!
Leftover Chicken Caesar Salad Tartines
Turn your leftover chicken into a simple and light chicken caesar salad tartine! Patio/picnic friendly summer meal, and easy enough to throw together for a quick lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover chicken shredded
- 1/2 cup caesar salad dressing
- 3 cups kale
- juice from one lemon
- salt and pepper
- 2 slices thick cut crusty bread toasted
- shredded parmesan cheese for garnish
- crispy chicken skin for garnish
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine leftover chicken and caesar salad dressing.
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In another small bowl combine kale, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Massage kale for 2-5 minutes until kale becomes softer and begins to break down a bit.
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Divide massaged kale between slices of toast. Top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and crispy chicken skin.
Recipe Notes
If you want to make crispy chicken skin, remove skin from chicken breast or thighs. Heat a thin film of oil in a skillet (I used olive oil) and add skins to pan. Skins will curl and shrink, so you may need to press down with the back of a spatula to ensure even cooking. Cook for 2-5 minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.Â
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