Queso fresco & tarragon mustard chicken sandwich

Following a girls’ trip to Austin, TX last weekend, I find myself continuing to crave the bright, hot, and colorful flavors of Mexican-inspired cuisine.

I don’t know about you, but I can never have too many tacos (72 hour trip and 6 different taco stops are the evidence) or cheese (this is self-evident).

Queso fresco is a Mexican cheese, traditionally made from a mixture of raw cow’s and goat’s milk. While the cheese tastes creamy, it is not rich. The queso is springy and light with a fresh salty linger of an aftertaste.

And it pairs so well against stronger flavors such as this tarragon mustard.

Tips: Make your own mustard! Combine 1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds, 1/3 cup white wine, 1/3 cup white wine vinegar with 2 T minced shallot, salt, pepper, and 3 sprigs of tarragon (picked and chopped). Let “marinate” overnight, then process until smooth in a food processor.

Queso fresco and tarragon mustard chicken sandwich

You’ll need:

(serves 4)

• 1 large roast chicken breast (I made it with a nice spice rub)
• 4 T tarragon mustard
• 12 oz queso fresco, sliced thinly
• 5-6 sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 buns nutty sandwich buns (I like the ones from The Baker), cut in half

1. Make the mustard ahead of time, if you are making your own.

2. Grill or toast the bread and spread generously with mustard (I estimated about 1 T per sandwich) and top with a bit of cilantro.

3. Slice chicken into 1/4 inch slices. Layer chicken and queso fresco and top with a little more cilantro.

A little bit of avocado would also be great here, but I like tasting the kick of the mustard on its own.