Cook the bacon (if using, I'm using a little bit of extra ham) until almost crispy, but not quite

Get your other ingredients ready to go

Deseed the tomato and roughly chop

Thinly slice your cheese

Cut a little lettuce from the heart, then roughly tear. Don't add so much to your sandwich that it overpowers the rest of the ingredients

Slice the bread like you would a hot dog bun and line with ham. I'm using a panini-pressed ciabatta for the extra width

Add the chicken then cover with cheese and a few chunks of tomato

Drizzle with Thousand Island dressing, add a little fresh parsley, and season with salt and pepper. I also sprinkle with smoked paprika at this point for a little heat

Add some more cheese, season again, and skewer the bread closed 🍢

Cook in the oven for a minimum of 8-10 minutes until the cheese bubbles. I'm cooking mine on a cast iron Welsh baking stone

The Welsh baking stone can be used in the oven like a pizza stone, for pastries, pies, and breads, or on the stove top, where they're great for cooking flat breads

Finish assembly by adding a little lettuce and some more tomato, then drizzling with a little more Thousand Island dressing

Serve as a snack or with French fries, and/or chips/potato crisps. I've also added a blob of houmous as a dip for the tortilla chips