Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches

Last Year's Post: Korean Sliders
Two Years Ago:  Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese - All Grown Up

It's fall, and it's football season, which also makes it beer season.  I thought I'd get in the spirit of things by posting a very beer-friendly sandwich that's a twist on the classic veal or pork schnitzel - a chicken schnitzel sandwich with cider-braised red cabbage, Swiss cheese, and a combination of whole-grain mustard and mayo.  I even went all-out with pretzel rolls, but you could use hamburger buns or mini-baguettes if you can't find them.   Serve with your favorite craft beer and some chips or onion rings, and you've got the perfect pub meal.

You could certainly use veal or thinly-pounded pork in place of the chicken, but chicken cutlets are the perfect thinness without any pounding and are readily available in the grocery store.  If you can't find them, just cut chicken breasts in half horizontally.

The panko crumbs give the cutlets the perfect crunch to go with the tender braised cabbage.  The mustard-mayo sauce is creamy and full of flavor, but if you want to amp things up a bit you could add a little hot mustard powder or horseradish to the sauce as well.  Either way, this is a fun addition to your sandwich collection.

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Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches

Serves 4

For the braised cabbage:

½ head red cabbage, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

½ cup apple cider

½ cup cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

For the chicken:

4 chicken cutlets (or 2 chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally)

Salt and pepper

½ cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

For the sandwiches:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup whole grain Dijon mustard

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 pretzel rolls (or other rolls or baguette)

For the cabbage:  heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the butter until melted.  Add the caraway seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the cabbage and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the cider and vinegar and simmer for 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, stir the mayonnaise and mustard together and set aside.

Assemble the chicken breading station by placing the flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls or plates, side by side.  Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and dip each one first into the flour, then the egg, then the panko crumbs making sure the cutlet is evenly coated.  Set aside on a baking pan until ready to cook.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add the vegetable oil.  Add the cutlets and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes.  Turn over carefully, reduce heat to medium-low, and fry on the second side until golden brown and cooked through, an additional 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the pan and place on paper towels.

To assemble the sandwiches, smear the mustard-mayo mixture on the top half of each roll.  Place a cheese slice on the bottom half, then top with a chicken cutlet and some of the braised cabbage.  Place the top on each roll and serve immediately.