Back when we were dating, one of our favorite places to eat was Texadelphia, a local-ish chain of “watch the game” bars famous for their chicken cheesesteak sandwiches.

Like clockwork, you could find us there after church softball games (rehydration is important!), after flag football games (rehydration is important!), and any Sunday afternoon if the Texans had an away game (yelling at a big screen in public is tradition!)… and most Sunday afternoons after leaving the Texans game.

My apartment was right around the corner. They knew us and our usual order.

And then we moved to the suburbs, “our” location closed, and the rest was history.

Mostly.

The white hoagie rolls were stuffed with very thinly sliced chicken, grilled onions and peppers, grilled jalapenos (for me!), and topped with Mustard Blend (for me!) or BBQ sauce (not for me!). It was the Mustard Blend, a thin spicy mustard-mayo-crack-teriyaki mixture that really made the sandwiches something special. Unless, of course, you’re like my husband and fall into the Mustard Blend Hater camp.

It’s times like those, I wonder how we’ve stayed together so long.

While nailing down the exact recipe for Mustard Blend has been pretty much impossible, most failed efforts over the last 4 years have still been incredibly tasty. Our server once told us the ingredients – right after telling us they weren’t allowed to say anything. What I make at home is spreadable, not pourable. But I really like it.

And I’ll keep making it until someone opens up a new Texadelphia on the far west side. Preferably with delivery.

Please.

The recipe below will get you 4-6 sandwiches, depending on the size of your bread and peppers. I can usually stretch the mixture to 6 sandwiches when using large bell peppers. And leftover mustard blend should be slathered on sandwiches, wraps, and used for dunking sausage kolache.

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Chicken Cheesesteaks

Recreating one of our favorite sandwiches at home with thinly sliced chicken, onions, peppers, and a mustard blend.

Ingredients

• For the sandwiches:
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, partially frozen
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Worcestershire
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4-6 slices of your favorite cheese
• For the mustard spread:
• 1/4 cup light mayo
• 3 Tbsp spicy brown mustard (I use Creole)
• 2 tsp teriyaki sauce
• 1 tsp honey, plus more to taste
• 4-6 hoagie rolls, split

Instructions

1. To make the mustard spread, whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate in a cover jar for up to 2 weeks (maybe even longer... but it doesn't last that long here!).
2. If the chicken is completely thawed, place it on a plastic-wrapped plate and put it back in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. The chicken needs to be slightly frozen so that it's easier to slice thinly.
3. Use a very sharp knife and thinly slice the chicken. A food processor fitted with the slicer blade works very quick wonders here!
4. Season the chicken with a couple dashes of Worcestershire, and salt and pepper.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
6. Add the peppers and onions, toss to coat with oil, and cook covered for 10-15 minutes, until softened, stirring every few minutes. If necessary, add a couple Tbsp of water to prevent sticking.
7. Transfer peppers to a bowl and set aside.
8. Heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat and add the chicken, stirring frequently until cooked through and lightly browned.
9. Drain fat and reduce heat to medium.
10. Add peppers back to the pan, tossing to reheat.
11. Spread mustard on split hoagie rolls and spoon mixture on top.
12. Top each with a slice of cheese and serve hot. Pop the sandwiches under the broiler, if necessary, to reheat and melt cheese.

Notes

Yields: 4-6 sandwiches

Inspired by Texadelphia

Estimated time: 45 minutes