Chicken Brie Sandwich with Balsamic Glazed Tomatoes

We enjoy brainstorming and creating new recipes, and then we focus on how to reduce the calories in the dish. After that, we start cooking, which is the most enjoyable part. The Chicken Brie Sandwich with Balsamic Glazed Cherry Tomatoes is one of the best sandwiches that I have ever tasted. This recipe does not include mayonnaise, but it still has a lot of flavor. What's great about this sandwich is that you can enjoy it hot, warm, or even cold.

Amazing Chicken Brie Sandwich!!!

We have a surplus of fresh tomatoes, and we wanted to try a new way to use them. So we decided to make the Chicken Brie Sandwich with Balsamic Glazed Cherry Tomatoes. The tomatoes have been so delicious this year, and we've been using them to make many wonderful meals like Fresh pasta with cherry tomatoes, Breakfast Bagel with tomatoes, Fresh tomato sauce, Ravioli tossed in homemade Tomato Sauce, and Spicy fresh jalapeño tomato sandwich. The best part of Cheery Tomatoes is how sweet they are and they are available year round at the grocery store!

Using our veggies from the garden

Having a garden is an incredibly enjoyable and relaxing experience. However, trying to grow peppers in NE Ohio can be quite challenging. After some trial and error, we've found that planting them in pots or garden bags is the most effective method. The ground takes quite some time to warm up, and the peppers don't produce as well when planted directly in the ground. Thankfully, we've been able to harvest plenty of tomatoes and peppers from our garden. We're trying our best to make use of all our produce, including basil and other herbs from our patio garden. It's amazing how many tomatoes and peppers we have! We're using hot peppers in almost every meal, although I may have gone a bit overboard this morning when I offered to top Amy's cereal with chopped Thai peppers. She loves peppers, but that was a bit too much even for her. Haha

Making the Chicken Brie Sandwich

I discovered the Chicken Brie Sandwich recipe in Cooking Light Magazine many years ago and it has become a summer staple in our household. We made some adjustments to the original recipe, such as grilling mustard-coated chicken breast instead of adding mustard directly to the sandwich and using only one tablespoon of olive oil. 

We also skipped the mayonnaise and cooked the tomatoes in a different way. Although the original recipe is delicious, we managed to keep the basic flavors of the sandwich while reducing the calorie count. Firstly, we sautéed chopped garlic in olive oil and added tomatoes and oregano. We let the tomatoes blister for a few minutes before adding balsamic vinegar and cooking until the vinegar thickened. We then removed it from the heat and added fresh spinach. While the tomatoes were cooking, we grilled the chicken. This Chicken Brie sandwich pairs perfectly with crusty bread.

This can be a fun Sunday afternoon meal or a great "take to work" lunch.  Not to mention, we had it for dinner, so that's always an option!

TIPS:

1.  To reduce calories, remove the center part of crusty bread. This can be easily done, and the bread removed can be saved in a freezer bag for future use.
2. The saved bread can be used for stuffing at Thanksgiving or for Croutons.  We will show you how to use them in posts later in the year!
3. While olive oil is considered a "good oil," it still contains calories. Therefore, it's recommended to cut back as much as possible. 
4. Mayonnaise can also be reduced or substituted with light mayonnaise. Using other flavors on sandwiches can also eliminate the need for mayo, and reducing the amount of bread can also decrease the need for excess sauce.

If you like this recipe, you might want to check these out:

• Balsamic glazed tomatoes - Balsamic Glazed Tomatoes, Roasted Chicken, Brie Cheese & Spinach make a hearty sandwich bursting with flavor. Great way to use leftover Chicken or Turkey.
• Spicy potato salad - Spicy Potato Salad is everything you crave in a good potato salad.  It's creamy, spicy, crunchy AND it's lower in fat and calories than a "traditional salad.
• Spicy basil pesto - Maximize your summer basil with this delicious, lighter pesto that bursts with flavor. It's nut-free, simple, and freezer-friendly.
• Spicy basil pesto chicken pizza - Let's spice up pizza night! Add our homemade Spicy Pesto to chicken, feta, & parmesan cheese for an unbelievable pizza experience.
• Air Fryer orange glazed chicken - Orange Glazed Chicken is air fried (or baked) for a healthier version of the classic fried dish. The zesty orange sauce coats the chicken so every bite is packed with flavor.