When it comes to Buffalo comfort food I think most buffalonians would agree that Buffalo Chicken Finger Subs rank up there as one of the top comfort foods of all time. Specifically the “Hot Blues” found at a legendary Buffalo based sub shop.
Authentic chicken finger subs are made with fried chicken fingers drenched in hot sauce and butter, slathered in blue cheese, topped off with melted provolone, and served on a toasted buttered sub roll. Shoved in between you can sometimes find onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, but really those are only there to try and hold the hot sauce and dressing from oozing out everywhere. They are messy and oh so good! But….and this is a big BUT… most chicken finger subs clock in between 800 – 1000 + calories. Yikes! Needless to say I rarely (if ever) eat chicken finger subs. Sniff sniff.
If I had to go the rest of my life NEVER eating these foods again then I would be living a very sad existence and would not be a pleasant person to be around. Plus, my husband I am positive would start some sort of underground junk food club and that would not be a pleasant sight either. Well let’s not cry or worry about weird underground junk food clubs run by husbands just yet. One of my favorite things to do for you (and me) is create healthier versions of not so healthy favorites. Remember the cheeseburger wrap, mac n cheese, chicken alfredo pizza, and pretty much all the recipes I make. That is exactly what I did with this recipe and I have to say it turned out pretty darn good. Even Matt said that it is better than the ones we used to order. WHAT?! Please text that to me so I have it in writing.
Here is what I did to make it healthier. First thing, the fried chicken finger had to go. Sorry but nothing good comes out of deep fried breaded mystery meat. I decided to go with shredded chicken breast. The shredded chicken sops up the hot sauce perfectly and gives it a fresh flavor that you just don’t get with fried chicken. Next, I substituted blue cheese yogurt dressing for regular blue cheese. This cuts lot of calories and is barely noticeable. Then I used ½ slice of provolone which is the perfect amount of cheese to get that ooey gooey goodness. If you want use the whole slice go for it just add another 50 calories to your sandwich. Now you might be wondering why I did not use a whole wheat roll. Well some sandwiches require white and this is one of them. I knew I would not be able to pull off a successful replica using wheat bread. Of course, if you want to use wheat bread then by all means.
I also want to mention that you can shave another 100 calories off this sandwich by making it an “open-faced” sandwich. This simply means don’t use the top half of the bread. If you decide to go this route then just put the top pieces in the freezer for another use.
If you are onion and tomato fans then I suggest NOT skipping these ingredients. I really feel they make this sandwich. I love the way they warm up and wilt slightly but still keep a nice crunch. Mmmmm so good!
Last thing. This sandwich is messy. Don’t eat while wearing a white shirt and you might have to pull your hair back. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup Frank Hot Sauce or whatever hot sauce you have available
- 3 – 4 cups shredded chicken breast
- 12 tablespoons blue cheese yogurt dressing
- ½ white onion thinly sliced
- 2 roma tomatoes thinly sliced
- 3 slices provolone cheese
- 6 ciabatta rolls
Instructions
- In a skillet melt butter over medium heat. Stir in hot sauce until combined.
- Stir in shredded chicken until meat is fully coated with hot sauce. Continue to cook until heated through. Set aside.
- Turn on broiler.
- Slice each ciabatta roll in half and toast.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese yogurt dressing on the bottom halves of ciabatta bread. Next divide the onions, tomato slices and shredded chicken evenly on top of the dressing. Make sure to put the onions and tomatoes under the chicken. This warms them up nicely but still gives a nice crunch.
- Top each sandwich with ½ slice of provolone cheese.
- Broil for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Keep an eye on it because the cheese can go from melted to burn very quickly.
- Top with other half of the bread and serve.
Notes
This sandwich comes together very quickly if you have the chicken breast cooked and shredded ahead of time. You can even mix it in the hot sauce mixture ahead of time as well. When ready to eat just continue with recipe.
Y.Kelly says
This is one of my go to recipes. Made it for a small summer family get together recently. Nobody knew it was “diet food”.
Sara Rygol says
Very good and easy to make!
Kristen says
I skipped the cheese. Not because I don’t want it, just didnt have it! 🙂 Delicious and filling! I also made the PB2 and chocolate oats this morning. So good! Thrilled to find your site 🙂
Patty says
I made these using the slow cooker buffalo chicken recipe. We all loved them. I have a little left in the freezer to use up so making these tonight. I froze the shredded buffalo chicken in quart size freezer bags. I put a few into gallon size bags for extra protection. Thank you for sharing all of your great recipes & tips.
Astharteea says
Oh, wow! Thanks for all the help. I appreciate it.
Astharteea says
I am planning to make these tomorrow for dinner but I’m a terrible cook so I’m confused about the shredded chicken…. How exactly do you make it? Chicken breast… Grilled and then shredded and then put in a buffalo sauce to soak? 🙁 I’m so sorry for bing a noob…..
The recipe sounds good and the subs look amazing.
Kristie Stevens says
How would you go about freezing this to warm in the microwave for make-ahead lunches at work?
Rae says
Absolutely delicious!!! I made these the other night and my husband LOVED them. He wants me to make it again this weekend. VERY easy to make…especially if you use a rotisserie chicken. I left out the tomato on my husband’s sub because he has an aversion to them…but if you like tomatoes and onions…definitely don’t skip them!
Thank you!!!
Sarahl says
My 2nd recipe from this site this week… the 2nd success and KEEPER. Great sandwiches and will definitely be putting this on my menus. This recipe was easy and flavorful. I’m a teacher, mother of 2 toddlers, and wife… this site is a life saver! Thank you.
Tammy says
So glad you like it – we has these tonight too and it has quickly become a family favorite! What other sandwich did you make?
Sarah says
We also had the meatballs… and my 3 and 2 year old tore up the break and mashed in the milk. They loved helping prepare this and I think that’s why they also loved eating what they had made! Thank you so much for these recipes. From one busy mama to another.
Julie says
This might be a dumb question, but where do you find your yogurt dressings mentioned in a few recipes? I can’t off hand remember seeing them at my local stores (Harris Teeter, Wal-mart, Lowes Foods) so I didn’t know if you happened to make your own dressing.
Jessica says
Check the refrigerated section of your produce area. It’s usually marketed as a specialty dressing.
Tressa says
This was one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made and it tasted better than any restaurant takeout meal! I used rotisserie chicken from Costco to speed things up. Make this!!!! It is soooooo good!!!! Thank you!!
Dawn says
this was amazing!
Holly says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! It looks delicious!