Carl's Jr. Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich

If you love crispy chicken sandwiches -- and especially if you don't live in the West -- you'll want to try out this clone of the tasty Carl's Jr. creation. The recipe makes four of the addicting chicken sandwiches from the California-based chain, but will also come in handy for making a delicious homemade ranch dressing. Try using some lean turkey bacon, fat-free Swiss cheese and fat-free mayonnaise if you feel like cutting back on the fat. Then you can eat two.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

Ranch Dressing

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• Dash dill weed
• Dash garlic
• Dash ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Sandwiches

• 1 egg
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 to 8 cups vegetable oil
• 4 chicken breast fillets
• 4 sesame seed hamburger buns
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 tomato slices
• Kraft Swiss cheese Singles
• 8 slices bacon, cooked

Instructions

1. Heat 6 to 8 cups of oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.

Ranch Dressing

1. To prepare the ranch dressing, combine all of the ingredients except the water and gelatin in small bowl.
2. Mix the water with the gelatin in a small cup until all of the gelatin is dissolved. Add this gelatin solution to the other ingredients and stir.
3. Cover and chill the dressing until it's needed.

Sandwiches

1. Beat the egg and then combine with 1 cup water in a small, shallow bowl. Stir.
2. Combine the flour, salt, onion powder and garlic powder in another shallow bowl.
3. Pound each of the breast fillets with a mallet until about 1/4 inch thick. Trim each breast fillet until it is round.
4. Working with one fillet at a time, first coat each fillet with the flour, then dredge it in the egg and water mixture. Coat the chicken once again in the flour and set it aside until all of the fillets have been breaded.
5. Fry the chicken fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until light brown and crispy.
6. As chicken is frying, prepare each sandwich by grilling the face of the hamburger buns on a hot skillet over medium heat. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ranch dressing on the face of the top and bottom buns.
7. On the bottom bun, stack a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice.
8. When the chicken is done frying, remove the fillets from the fryers and drain them on paper towels or a rack for a couple of minutes.
9. Stack one fillet onto the bottom of the sandwich (onto the tomato), then stack a slice of the Swiss cheese onto the chicken.
10. Arrange the bacon, crosswise, on top of the Swiss cheese, then top off the sandwich with the top bun.
11. Repeat the stacking process for each of the remaining sandwiches.