Ingredients :

• The bread — Use slightly thick sandwich bread, not thin toast slices that get soggy at the first contact with béchamel. Brioche-style sandwich bread or country bread in slices — both work well. The important thing is the thickness so the sandwich holds together when cut.
• The chicken — Two cooked chicken breasts, sliced, that’s the base. But if you have leftover roast chicken, use that preferably — it brings much more flavor. Cut into thin strips rather than large chunks, so each bite is well balanced with the other fillings.
• The turkey bacon — We use smoked turkey bacon. The smoky flavor is present, and the crispiness too after a quick pan-fry. Grill it dry for two minutes before assembling the sandwich — it should be firm on the edges but not brittle.
• The grated cheese — Emmental or Comté preferably. They melt evenly and brown without burning too quickly. Avoid pre-shredded industrial gruyere in bags — too moist, it melts into a puddle rather than a nice crust.