Description
This Crispy Bacon and Ranch Chicken Melt is the ultimate comfort sandwich—stacked with juicy chicken, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and creamy homemade ranch dressing, all served on toasted ciabatta. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or when you’re craving something bold and satisfying.
Ingredients
For the Sandwich:
1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced in half
2 cups cooked chicken (roasted or grilled), sliced
4 slices Havarti cheese
4 slices pepper jack cheese
6 slices crispy bacon
½ cup salsa verde
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cups arugula
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Homemade Ranch Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the ranch dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine all dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prepare the ciabatta: Lay both halves of the bread cut side up. Hollow out some bread from the top half to make space. Spread ranch dressing over the bottom half.
Layer the fillings: Add slices of Havarti and pepper jack cheese on the bottom half, followed by sliced chicken. Drizzle with salsa verde, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake open-faced: Place the bottom half of the sandwich on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Toss the greens: In a bowl, mix arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, dill, and sesame seeds. Season lightly with salt.
Assemble the sandwich: Remove the baked sandwich from the oven. Add the arugula mix and crispy bacon on top. Drizzle with extra ranch dressing.
Top and toast again: Place the top half of the ciabatta on the sandwich and press gently. Bake for another 5 minutes until golden and crispy.
Serve: Slice into 6 portions and enjoy !
Notes
You can use rotisserie chicken for a faster prep.
Swap pepper jack for mozzarella if you prefer milder flavor.
Leftover ranch can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
For extra crunch, toast the ciabatta halves before assembling.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 510 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 830 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg