This is 19 month old Baby A’s favourite wholesome grilled chicken sandwich. It has his all time favourites ingredients which is chicken and creamy philadelphia cheese, and his newfound love- heinz ketchup! (seriously he likes ketchup so much, he could paint himself and the town red with it).

I’ve added a medley of vegetables to the sandwich like carrots, broccoli, spinach and peas, and then enclosed it within 2 slices of wholegrain bread. Grilling the sandwich gives the sandwich a lovely crunchy outer and juicy, creamy inner. A good lunch time meal. You could use any vegetables your lil one likes, to make it appetising for them.

To make this Cheesy Chicken and Vegetable Medley Grilled Sandwich

Ingredients: ( makes 1 sandwich)

Chicken: 1 medium size piece.

Mixed vegetables ( chopped carrots, small broccoli florets, whole peas): 2 tbsps (you could use corn kernels, peppers, beans anything that your child enjoys)

Baby leaf spinach: few

Philadelphia Original Cheese spread: 2 tsps

White Pepper powder: a pinch (optional)

Ketchup:1 tsp

Butter: 1/4 tsp (for grilling sandwich)

Cardomom: 1 pod

Wholegrain bread: 2 slices

Method:

1. In a small vessel take chicken, chopped vegetables and a cardomom pod. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Add a pinch of salt. Close the vessel and bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat. Allow the chicken to cook well and the vegetables to turn soft ( around 15-20 minutes). Just before turning off the heat add the baby spinach and cook for another minute.

2. Then drain the chicken and vegetables into a bowl and let it cool down. Reserve any remaining stock to make soup another time. Shred the chicken and chop the cooked vegetables and spinach into smaller bits. Add a tsp of cheese spread to the chicken vegetable mixture, mix well. Taste for seasoning. Add a pinch of pepper if desired.

3. Place the bread slices on a board. Thinly spread ketchup on both slices, then spread a tsp of cream cheese on the bottom slice only. Place the chicken and vegetable mixture over the bottom slice. Cover the mixture with the top bread slice.

Apply a thin smear of butter to the outer surface of both slices of bread and grill till the bread turns a lovely golden brown.