NOW, I GET WHY THE CHICKEN CROSSED THE ROAD, IT NEEDED TO ESCAPE NYC CHEFS

It's safe to say it's not breaking news that I eat out at a lot of restaurants. Living in New York, it would be a shame not to; the restaurants here are amazing! And when you're in restaurants as often as I am, you begin to see trends—I see you, poke bowls! 

In the past year, I've begun to wonder if I've teleported down south because like 80% of menus these days have their own take on fried chicken dishes. Find it on waffles, pancakes, in rice bowls, in a basket served with a side of, well, name it—the options feel endless...in a good way. 

Being that you're reading this, you can safely assume that I love to cook—really, any means of having amazing food at my disposal is good by me. Well, I partnered up with my friends at The Feedfeed and Land O’Lakes and accepted their challenge to develop a sandwich inspired by NYC that incorporates Deli American! HELLO, OH-SO-TRENDY FRIED CHICKEN!!!

You can get Land O Lakes® Deli American at your grocery stores deli counter where they will slice it up fresh. What is great about this is that it is sliced-to-order, meaning you don’t have to painfully pull apart slices that are pre-packaged! 

I began by picturing a tuna melt-style sandwich, but couldn't bear to hide the crispy beauty of that perfectly fried exterior. So, I then pictured a fried chicken grilled cheese. I ended up somewhere in the middle with a sort of hybrid—AND AM ENTIRELY OBSESSED WITH HOW IT CAME OUT!

Flavor tip: Add your rosemary and thyme to your panko coating before dredging your chicken, AND when plating your final dish, sprinkle on extra! This way you get that really fresh herbal flavor and aroma, plus the hint of it infused directly in your chicken.

Frying tip: Make sure to bring your oil to 375º before adding in your chicken. When you fry in oil that isn't hot enough, you get a soggy fry—YUCK!