The Blue Buffalo Recipe

Poach the chicken

Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan or deep skillet. Add water or chicken broth so the breasts are mostly submerged (about 2 cups). Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and poach for 12–15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Shred the chicken

Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred using two forks or your hands into bite-sized pieces. Place shredded chicken in a mixing bowl.

Make buffalo sauce and toss

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Add 1/2 cup hot sauce and 1 tsp honey (optional). Stir until combined and warm but not boiling. Pour the warm buffalo sauce over the shredded chicken and toss thoroughly so the chicken is evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt or heat as needed. Keep warm while preparing sandwiches.

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream and 2 tbsp buttermilk. Stir in 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Mix until mostly smooth, leaving some blue cheese crumbles for texture. Taste and adjust seasoning or consistency with an extra teaspoon of buttermilk if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the celery: thinly slice 1 stalk of celery on the bias into short sticks. Pat dry.

Assemble sandwiches: lay out 4 slices of sourdough. On two slices, place one Muenster slice each, then divide the warm shredded buffalo chicken evenly between them (about half the chicken per sandwich). Top the chicken with a small spoonful (about 1 tbsp) of blue cheese dressing per sandwich, then scatter sliced celery over the dressing. Add optional pickled banana peppers or extra blue cheese if desired. Top with the remaining Muenster slices and the other slices of sourdough to form two sandwiches.

Grill the sandwiches: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Butter the outsides of each sandwich with the reserved 2 tbsp unsalted butter (1 tbsp per sandwich, spread evenly). Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook 3–4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. If bread is browning too quickly before cheese melts, lower heat and cover the skillet briefly (1–2 minutes) to trap heat and melt cheese.

Finish and serve: Remove sandwiches from the pan and let rest 1 minute. Cut each sandwich in half. Serve immediately with extra blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping and additional celery sticks.