Lunch date is a bit of a misnomer here. This isn’t a tale about another lunch time excursion–though Pau Pau and I had many during my childhood and young adulthood. No, it’s more a fond memory of something she frequently made me for lunch when I was little, especially on school holidays and summer vacations when I was home all day and she was responsible for feeding me.

Most of the time lunch consisted of good old Chinese home cooking–a bowl of wonton soup, some noodles, occasionally dumplings, stuff my grandfather would want to eat. However, if the choice was up to me I’d request “flying saucer” toasted sandwiches. What, pray tell, are those? Pre-electric panini grill and sandwich maker days, the flying saucer was a kitchen tool we used to make (what the Brits would call) toasties–mode up of 2 long handles attached to 2 metal molds, when coupled resembled a flying saucer.

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Grandma would take a couple slices of white sandwich bread, butter them on one side, then sandwich a scoop of creamy chicken and vegetable filling in between the unbuttered sides, place it on one half of the flying saucer and close it shut with the other half, removing the crust. She’d hold the flying saucer mold over an open flame on the gas stove for a few minutes on both sides to toast the sandwich until golden brown and crispy. Simple and absolutely delicious!

Grandma only ever made one type of filling, but damn it was good! Her secret–which wasn’t really much of a secret–was to season the chicken pieces well before stir-frying (she didn’t “sauté”), which meant quick marinating it in a combination of salt, pepper, a splash of rice wine and soy sauce, maybe a dash of worcestershire. The vegetables were stir-fried separately–until just tender and (to use her word) “fragrant.” The chicken and vegetables were then tossed together with a can of undiluted Campbell’s cream of chicken soup. That’s it.

While Grandma wasn’t the only one to make these flying saucer toasties–Mom and Aunt Anna used to make them too–hers have always stuck in my memory. My fondness, no doubt, is wrapped up in my memories of spending time with her and how she’d indulge my childhood lunchtime food preferences.

I haven’t had a flying saucer toasty in ages, probably not in a couple of decades at least. I wasn’t sure if Mom even still had her flying saucer–which it turned out, she didn’t. Luckily my brother Sam came to the rescue and found one buried in his kitchen cabinet. Now all I had to do was bake a loaf of Classic Sandwich Bread (recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour)–no matter how nostalgic I was I drew the line at buying sliced Wonder Bread–and make some chicken filling.

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However, I did not draw the line at using canned condensed cream of chicken soup, though I did toy with the idea of making a creamy chicken sauce from scratch.

Per Grandma’s instructions, I marinated the small pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat–actually overnight–then cooked the meat separate from the vegetables . Instead of making just her classic filing (with onion, carrots, and peas), I decided to go rogue with a second filling inspired by another childhood food favorite–the “chicken divan” crepe from The Magic Pan. Back in the 70’s The Magic Pan was a popular chain of full-service restaurants specializing in Americanized versions of the French crepe. I was obsessed with the creamy cheesy chicken and broccoli crepe.

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It was easy to simply split the browned chicken and sautéed onion into two batches–adding peas, diced carrots and red bell pepper to one and diced cooked Yukon gold potato, broccoli, and cheddar cheese to the other. I gave both batches a sprinkling of dried thyme and parsley (okay Grandma wouldn’t have added herbs) before folding in condensed cream of chicken soup.

Even though the slice bread was buttered, I coated both halves of the flying saucer with a little oil for added measure.

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The Classic Chicken and Vegetable Flying Saucer Toasties were as scrumptious as I remembered, golden and buttery crispy on the outside, warm and velvety on the inside. I was a bit overly enthusiastic with the filling on the first toasty, which caused some minor cracking and filling explosion on one side–still totally salvageable.

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I have to admit though, my Magic Pan-inspired Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Potato Flying Saucer Toasties were even better. The addition of cheddar to the cream of chicken base only enhanced the magical combination of chicken, broccoli, potato and onion.

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Since I had a couple of slices of bread left, I decided to go full rogue and make a dessert toasty, sandwiching chunky peanut butter with thick homemade strawberry-rhubarb preserves and sliced fresh strawberries.

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What started out as a whimsical trip down lunchtime memory lane has opened up a whole pantry of possibilities…so I think I’ll keep the flying saucer a bit longer…and bake a few more loaves of sandwich bread.

These deliciously thick and luscious fillings are also great to use for savory hand pies or even savory “pop tarts!”

(Sort of) Grandma’s Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Toasty Filling

Yield: enough for about 8 toasties

• 3 medium raw skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 t. light soy sauce
• 1 t. rice wine or cooking sherry
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/4 c. finely diced carrot
• 1/4 c. finely diced red or green bell pepper
• 1/4 c. frozen petite peas
• 1/2 t. dried parsley flakes (or 2 t. fresh chopped)
• 1/2 t. dried thyme (or 2 t. fresh chopped)
• salt/black pepper
• neutral cooking oil
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1. Cut the chicken into very small pieces (about 1/3-1/2″), then place in a bowl and toss in soy, rice wine, garlic, worchestershire, a little salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 mins.
2. Meanwhile, stir fry or sauté the onions in a little oil on medium heat until almost translucent, then add carrots and bell pepper; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are almost tender, then add the peas to warm through. Remove the vegetables and set aside.
3. Add a little more oil, turn heat up to medium high heat and cook the chicken until nicely browned. Return the vegetables and toss in the herbs. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
4. Transfer everything into a bowl and stir in cream of chicken to evenly coat.

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Potato Filling

Yield: enough for about 8 toasties

• 3 medium raw skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 t. light soy sauce
• 1 t. rice wine or cooking sherry
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/2 c. chopped broccoli
• 1/3 c. cooked potato (i.e. Yukon gold), small diced
• 1/2 t. dried parsley flakes (or 2 t. fresh chopped)
• 1/2 t. dried thyme (or 2 t. fresh chopped)
• salt/black pepper
• neutral cooking oil
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cut the chicken into very small pieces (about 1/3-1/2″), then place in a bowl and toss in soy, rice wine, garlic, worchestershire, a little salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 mins.
2. Meanwhile, stir fry or sauté the onions in a little oil on medium heat until almost translucent, then add broccoli; season with salt and pepper. Cook until broccoli is just tender, then toss in potato to warm through; set aside.
3. Add a little more oil, turn heat up to medium high heat and cook the chicken until nicely browned. Return the broccoli and potato, toss in the herbs. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
4. Transfer everything into a bowl, add the cheddar and stir in cream of chicken to evenly coat.