Ingredients
  • 8 slices meaty bacon
  • 1/2 small bulb fennel, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1 crisp apple, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small onion, sliced
  • EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
  • 1 pound/jar sauerkraut with caraway, drained (you can find it in the Whole Foods refrigerated section)
  • 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, butterflied and pounded to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
  • 8 slices Emmentaler or Jarlsberg Swiss cheese
  • 1 cup Fabanaise or sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons pickle relish
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 hoagie rolls, split
Yield
Serves: 4 servings
Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bacon on a slotted pan or a baking rack set into a baking sheet and bake to crisp, about 15 minutes or so.

In a small skillet, sauté the fennel, apples and onion over medium heat in a drizzle of EVOO. Cook to tender-crisp, 7-8 minutes, then add sauerkraut and heat through.


Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with a couple drizzles of EVOO. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook to brown, about 4 minutes; turn over and brush with about 1 tablespoon mustard per cutlet. Top each chicken piece with 2 slices of bacon and cheese; cover with foil to melt cheese then remove from heat.

Combine sour cream, relish, ketchup, Worcestershire in a small bowl.

Build sandwiches: On roll bottoms, place chicken and top with some apple-and-fennel ‘kraut. Smear dressing on roll tops and set in place. Serve with extra dressing on the side.