Smashed Pea & Chicken Toast (Print)

Vibrant open-faced sandwich with creamy smashed peas, tender chicken, and chili heat on crisp toasted bread.

# Components:

→ Toast

01 - 4 thick slices rustic bread, such as sourdough or country loaf

→ Pea Mixture

02 - 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed
03 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
04 - ½ lemon, juiced
05 - ¼ teaspoon sea salt
06 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Chicken

07 - 1½ cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

→ Toppings

08 - ½ teaspoon chili flakes, adjustable to preference
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint or parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons crumbled feta or goat cheese

# Directions:

01 - Toast bread slices in a toaster or grill pan until golden and crisp.
02 - In a mixing bowl, mash thawed peas with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper using a fork or potato masher until chunky in texture.
03 - Fold shredded chicken into the smashed pea mixture until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Spoon the pea and chicken mixture generously over each toasted bread slice.
05 - Sprinkle with chili flakes, fresh herbs, and cheese if desired.
06 - Serve immediately while the toast remains warm and crunchy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes twenty minutes from start to finish and uses ingredients you probably already have tucked away.
  • The creamy pea base feels luxurious without any cream, just good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
  • It's endlessly adaptable – swap the protein, adjust the heat, add whatever herbs are wilting in your crisper.
  • You get crunch, creaminess, and brightness all in one bite.
02 -
  • Toast the bread just before assembling, if it sits too long it loses its crunch and the whole experience suffers.
  • Don't skip the lemon juice, it's what keeps the peas from tasting flat and one-dimensional.
  • If your chicken is bland, season it separately before folding it in or the whole mixture will need rescuing.
03 -
  • Keep a bag of frozen peas in your freezer at all times, they thaw in minutes and turn into something special with just olive oil and lemon.
  • If you don't have cooked chicken, poach a breast in simmering water for twelve minutes, let it rest, then shred it with two forks.
  • For a vegan version, skip the chicken and cheese, add smashed avocado or white beans for creaminess and protein.
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