Carl's Jr. Santa Fe Chicken Recipe

Carl N. Karcher was born January 16, 1917 in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. His formal schooling lasted through the eighth grade, when he left school to assist his parents on the family farm.

As a young man, Carl made the decision to move from Ohio to Anaheim, California. He worked 12-hour days, six days a week, at his uncle's feed and seed store for $18 per week. In August, 1938, he went home to Ohio until a new opportunity arose.

The following year, Carl returned to California and was hired as a bread wrapper for Armstrong Bakery in Los Angeles, quickly earning a promotion to a sales and delivery position. He married Margaret Heinz on November 30, 1939 — a marriage that endured for more than 66 years, and yielded a closeknit family of 12 children, 51 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren.

1941 was the year that changed Carl's life, from a career standpoint. He and Margaret purchased a hot dog cart on July 17, 1941 for $326 ($15 cash and $311 borrowed on his 1941 Plymouth Super Deluxe). The first day's sales totaled $14.75. Business grew, and on January 16, 1945, Carl opened Carl's Drive-In Barbecue in Anaheim, Calif. The first Carl's Jr. restaurants opened in 1956.

Today, the business that began with that first hot dog cart has grown to include more than 3,000 restaurants, and 30,000 employees worldwide. CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,036 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 43 states and in 13 countries, including 1,121 Carl's Jr.^® restaurants, 1,915 Hardee's^® restaurants.

Carl's Jr. Santa Fe Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup teriyaki marinade (Lawry's is best)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 1 can mild green chili peppers - (4 oz) -- drained
• 4 slices American cheese
  

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken in the teriayki marinade in a shallow bowl for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a clean barbecue to medium grilling heat. Prepare the sauce in a small bowl by mixing the mayonnaise with the paprika, cayenne pepper, curry powder, and salt.
3. Grill the chicken for 5 to 8 minutes per side, or until done.
4. Brown the faces of each bun in a hot frying pan. Spread a tablespoon of sauce on the faces of each bun, top and bottom. On each bottom bun place a lettuce leaf, then a green chili pepper. You want the pepper to spread over most of the lettuce. To do this, slice the pepper down the middle and spread it open so that it covers more territory. When sliced open like this, some peppers are big enough for 2 sandwiches. Some are much smaller and enough for only one sandwich.
5. Place one chicken breast half on each of the sandwiches, on top of the chili pepper. Place a slice of American cheese on the chicken. Top it all off with the top bun.
   

This recipe yields 4 sandwiches.