Open Faced Chicken & Gravy Sandwiches with Mashed Potatoes

As you may or may not know, I’m a southern gal and in the south we eat a lot of mashed potatoes and gravy. One of my absolute favorite meals is an open faced sandwich smothered in gravy with mashers on the side….also smothered in gravy! No, this is not a low calorie meal by any stretch but it is a wonderful, warm, comfort meal and after a full day of sailing it is a real treat.

28768280_10208535740309598_879935930_oPlease keep in mind while reading this and all of our recipes for that matter that these are “boat recipes” meaning we use things that are easy to keep and store. Obviously I prefer to use fresh chicken and vegetables and I always do when in port but these recipes are ones that can be easily made at sea. For that reason I used dehydrated mashed potatoes and canned chicken in this one. If you have fresh chicken or easy access to it then I recommend grilling it or cooking it in a skillet and then shredding it. If not, we found that Kirkland’s Canned Chicken which can be found at Costco’s here in Mexico, is a great substitute. It tastes fresh and is great for this recipe, chicken salad or just about any recipe that calls for chunked or shredded chicken.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cans Kirkland Canned Chicken (or 2 Pre-Cooked Chicken Breasts, Shredded)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Pad of Butter
  • 1/2 White Onion, Diced
  • 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
  • 1 Can Evaporated Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder…NOT Salt…Bouillon contains lots of salt.
  • 2 Teaspoons Dill
  • 1 Teaspoon White Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Tarragon
  • 1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon Paste or 2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes (Crushed)
  • Mashed Potatoes….however you like to make them. We use Idahoans.
  • Bread…whatever kind you like.

Sauté onion in olive oil until soft but not clear. Add garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until onions are clear. Add evaporated milk, garlic powder, dill, white pepper, tarragon, butter and bouillon. Continue cooking on medium heat until gravy thickens. Don’t worry if it becomes a little too thick. You will be adding some of the juice from the canned chicken, which will thin it out a bit.

Once gravy is thickened, add chicken. Only add enough of the chicken juice to make the gravy the desired consistency. Continue cooking until chicken is heated completely.

28768049_10208535705908738_649143375_oWhile this is cooking, you can prepare your mashed potatoes. We use Idahoan Roasted Garlic or the Buttery ones. All you need for these is some butter and boiling water. They are the best dehydrated potatoes we’ve found. Unfortunately, we’ve failed to find them here in Mexico so we always bring back a bunch from the states.

With your chicken gravy heated and your potatoes made you are ready to make a true southern creation. Slap that bread on a plate, plop a big spoonful of potatoes beside it and smother the entire place with delicious chicken gravy! OOOOOHHHH YEAH! PURE HEAVEN!