Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

For the Sandwich

• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2–3 dashes hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• - ground black pepper
• 4 5–6-oz. chicken cutlets
• 8 slices pepper Jack cheese
• 4 Kaiser or onion rolls, split and toasted
• - lettuce leaves, for topping
• - tomato slices, for topping

For the Sauce

• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives or scallions, chopped
• - ground black pepper

1. Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium heat.
2. Combine 1/4 cup buttermilk, the hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.
3. For the ranch sauce, mince the garlic with the salt on a cutting board; mash with the flat side of a chef’s knife to make a paste.
4. Combine the garlic paste, mayonnaise, vinegar, buttermilk, and the chives/scallions in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the chicken to the grill, letting the excess marinade drip off. Grill until marked on the bottom, 3–4 minutes, then flip the chicken.
6. Top each piece of chicken with 2 slices of cheese and continue grilling until just cooked through, about 2–4 more minutes.
7. Spread each roll with some of the ranch sauce and then layer on a piece of chicken with lettuce and tomato.

If you're using chicken breasts for the sandwiches, be sure to pound them thin before adding the chicken to the marinade.