Chopped Challenge #10: Choripollo Flatbread Sandwiches

For our tenth Chopped challenge I gave Justin Pillsbury pizza dough, chorizo, chives, and mashed potato flakes. One of our favorite Mexican restaurants near our last apartment in Indiana had choripollo on their menu, which was a mixture of chicken, chorizo, and cheese sauce. It was really delicious, and you just tossed it onto a tortilla with rice, beans, etc. or inhaled it straight from the plate. Originally Justin was going to attempt to make some sort of choripollo empanadas, but he ended up just turning his idea into more of a sandwich instead, using the pizza dough as the bread and putting the cheese sauce on the side for dipping. The flavor was really good, and I would definitely have him make these for dinner again sometime.


Ingredients

2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 ounces chorizo
1/3 c water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup mashed potato flakes
2 tablespoons minced poblano
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/2 cup half-and-half
Dash paprika
2 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 package refrigerated, ready-to-bake pizza dough (such as Pillsbury)


Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips, and sprinkle cumin over top. Cook through, about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, crumble chorizo and cook through, about 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat water and salt in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes. Add milk and potato flakes and fluff with a fork until well-combined. Set aside.

Prebake pizza dough for 5-7 minutes according to package directions. Meanwhile, sauté poblano and chives in remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add half-and-half, and heat through, stirring frequently. Add in paprika and Monterey jack cheese, and stir until cheese is melted into sauce.

Cut pizza dough into quarters. Cover one quarter with a layer of mashed potatoes, followed by layers of chorizo and chicken. Top with another quarter of the pizza dough, and repeat to make the second sandwich. Serve with cheese sauce on the side for dipping.


Servings: 2