Ridiculously Good BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I do a lot of lily-gilding when I'm cooking and thinking about cooking. When I'm brainstorming recipe ideas, I always start with a really simple concept; in this case, it was bacon-wrapped chicken tenders. And then my mind inevitably goes to this really ridiculous place, like: Ooo, what if I basted them with BBQ sauce and put them on a sandwich? And what if I added gouda cheese? And caramelized onions? By the time I was finished creating this sandwich, what started out as a really simple dish had a few additional components that elevated it to ridiculously good status. Thus the title of this post. And thus this amazing sandwich.

Honestly, I don't really know what else I need to tell you about these sandwiches. They're loaded with bacon-wrapped chicken tenders, BBQ sauce, creamy, melted, smoked gouda cheese, and sweet, buttery caramelized onions. And a smear of creamy mayo, too (see lily-guilding referenced above). It's ridiculously good, and ridiculously good-looking too (bonus points if you get that reference).

Ridiculously Good BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2 large onions, sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and peper
8 chicken tenders
8 strips of bacon
1 cup prepared BBQ sauce
1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted
Mayonnaise

1. In a Dutch oven or high-sided skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized.

2. Meanwhile, season chicken tenders lightly with salt and more generously with black pepper. Wrap a strip of bacon around each tender. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the tenders, bacon-seam-side down, until they're cooked through and the bacon is crispy. Reduce the heat to medium-low and baste the tenders with the BBQ sauce.

3. To make a sandwich, add two tenders to a roll bottom. Top with 1/4 cup of the shredded gouda and a pile of caramelized onions. Smear the top of the  roll with mayonnaise and close the sandwich. Serve.