Did I ever tell you about the time that I wound up with 13 pounds of garlic knots tossed in bowls that were strewn across my kitchen, with flour and oil and garlic skins littering any potential open counter space? Oh, well that's probably because it just happened. It was an interesting way to spend Valentine's Day.
I'm just glad that James is one of those "the way to my heart is through my stomach" kinds of guys. And that he doesn't mind garlic breath.
I've grumbled on here many times about how there aren't a lot of palatable places to eat in this town, and how it drives me absolutely nuts. You would think that the Italian food would be great here since you can see the New York City skyline across the bay, and NYC has the largest population of Italian-Americans in this country. You would think, but you'd be wrong.
However, there is one gem of a mom and pop Italian takeout spot around here called Tre Coloré.
Though their pizza will still never come close to the pizza I'm used to in the Philadelphia suburbs (which is a surprisingly close second to the perfect pizza you'll find in the heart of NYC-- fight me about it), their sandwiches are ON POINT. What more convincing do you need than the fact that they've brought the Garlic Knot Chicken Parm into my life?
These sandwiches are our "I've had a bad day and need some light in my life" order, for sure. You can't be in a bad mood if you've got one of these. And since James loves them so much, I decided to try making the Garlic Knot Chicken Parm Sandwiches myself.... On Valentine's Day, obviously. Which wasn't intentional at first, as I'd usually pretend to be a slightly fancier girlfriend, but James certainly didn't seem to mind one bit. And I have to say that I did a pretty damned good job at it.
The key, I learned, was to use pre-made, refrigerated pizza dough and let it sit out a bit so that the knots would rise to be nice and fat and the knotted parts would fuse together when baked. By knotting the dough in a figure-8 shape, I was able to get a knot that fit a breaded chicken cutlet (and sauce, and cheese) perfectly. Like I said, it took me a bit to figure that out, but you always have to strive for perfection. Being scrupulous pays off.
James definitely appreciated it, at the very least. And by "appreciated it" I mean that he raved about these for days and ate like a billion of them. Which is good because, remember, we had thirteen pounds of garlic knots to try to consume.
Your friends are going to go just as wild over these as we did when you make them for your next weekend hangout. And your family is going to beg you to make them on the regular. And your boyfriend will think you're the coolest person ever. I'm still riding that wave, clearly.
But before you let people inhale these Garlic Knot Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches, don't forget to take a photo and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram, so it shows up on the You Made It page. And since we're on the subject of social media, go to our Facebook Page and give the Garlic Knot Chicken Parm video a share if it made you drool.
THEN go on and enjoy every garlicky second. You deserve it.
Print
Garlic Knot Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 servings or 3 large sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough, sat at room temperature for 30 minutes
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise to create a total of 4 thin chicken slices
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup flour
- 3 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup marinara sauce, plus more to serve
- 6 slices mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a smooth surface, cut the pizza dough into 3 equal-sized pieces. If your dough is sticking too much to the rolling surface, very lightly sprinkle the surface with flour. Roll the dough into long, even ropes, about 1.5 to 2 feet long. Tie each rope in a figure-8 knot and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, gently pulling at the ends to create a longer, thinner knot. Brush with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
- Bake until cooked through and just beginning to turn golden on top, about 22-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Season the chicken slices with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour the flour and breadcrumbs into two additional, separate bowls. Dip the chicken pieces, one at a time, into the flour, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs, patting and turning to adhere. Then, set the chicken aside on a large plate. Continue until all of the chicken has been breaded.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken in batches and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
- Carefully slice the baked bread knots in half, crosswise. Working spoon marinara sauce on the bottom of each bread knot half. Then, place a chicken cutlet on top. You will have one extra chicken cutlet, which you can use to double-up a sandwich or you can save for leftovers. Top the chicken cutlets with additional marinara. Place two slices of mozzarella cheese on each sandwich, and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover with the top bread knot halves and transfer back to the oven until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
- While the sandwiches bake, make the garlic oil. In a small, microwave safe bowl, combine the garlic, remaining olive oil, and butter. Cover loosely and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, cover, and microwave again for 15 seconds, or until melted. Mix in the chopped parsley.
- Brush the sandwiches generously with the garlic oil mixture, making sure to scoop the garlic pieces with the pastry brush and dab them on the knots. Serve warm with additional marinara.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Deebi27 says
This is a serious must make for dinner on Sunday, March 27, 2017...my next day off! These look amazingly awesomeness! My mouth is watering now just thinking about these sandwiches for dinner...OMG!
Gabriela says
OMG!!!!
Simply: OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
Thank you for such a GORGEOUS recipe! Made it, devoured it, made it, again.
Yeah.
Rachel says
Such a great idea! I added the garlic butter/oil to the inside of my sandwhiches too and the whole thing was just melt in the mouth.
Khola says
Can I freeze these?
Josh Ortiz says
I work in a restaurant, and I asked the chef if we could try these out... needless to say they came out perfectly and we might even add them to the menu.
Katie Craycroft says
This has become one of my husband's favorite meals! The night I made them he had them for dinner, and breakfast and lunch the next day! (Though personally I wouldn't want them for breakfast...)
Eden says
I am making these tonight! Currently letting the dough sit and I am using crushed saltines instead of panko because I ran out but this recipe sounds too good to wait to make. Will report back!
Casey O'Brien says
My husband and I loved these! One of the best meals I’ve had!
Gabriela says
I know that it is years later! But, this sandwich OMG!!! Is Out of this World! Made it many times, and it still a major hit!! Thank you!
Morgan says
Thank you Gabriela!! I'm so glad you like it!!