Eat This: Hot Chicken and Waffle Sandwich From La Casita Bakeshop

We need to level with you right out of the gate. You're going to read this story about the hot chicken and waffle sandwich from La Casita Bakeshop, and you're going to want one right away. That's how we felt when we first learned of its existence at the Richardson bakery.

But you need to show some patience and forethought. You see, this exquisite gem of sandwich artistry is only available by preorder for pickup on Saturdays from La Casita's storefront on Arapaho Road. Set your reminders now: Preorders open at noon on Wednesday for Saturday's pickup between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The preorder window closes on Friday, so you've just 48 hours to act accordingly. The payoff for your planning is a sandwich that is made-to-order when you arrive, handed to you at its hottest and freshest.
And that's also a masterstroke from La Casita because it's damn near impossible to stand in front of the counter for more than a few minutes, taking in the glorious smells of fresh baked goods, and not whip out your credit card to build a box of to-go goodies along with your sandwich. La Casita's owner Maricsa Trejo and her team get an A+ in up-sell marketing just by scent alone, although the staff were happy to make a couple of recommendations while we waited.

In our case, we nabbed a strawberry and guava pop-tart ($5) that shames anything you'll find on the grocery store shelf, as well as the last kouign amann ($4.50) of the day from the display case. If you don't know what a kouign amann ("queen ah-man") is, you've not been keeping up with our food editor, who has a fascination bordering on compulsion with the caramelized and laminated pastry concoction. She's not wrong; angels will sing with glory as you peel back the flaky layers and pop them into your mouth.

As good as La Casita's pastries are, this chicken and waffle sandwich ($12) is what you need to fill the sweet-savory-spicy hole in your life. Let's break it down. The chicken has a thick batter that was still the right level of crunchy even after our 20-minute drive home, and the chicken breast underneath was plenty moist. With the first bites, the tingle of heat is readily apparent, accented by the hot sauce drizzled on top of the chicken cutlet.  The modest burn is tempered nicely with a healthy dose of pickles on top, in true Nashville style.

Then there's the waffle, which stands in perfectly for the bread of the sandwich. It's fluffy and just ever-so-slightly sweet and holds the chicken and pickles in place nicely. There's no reason you wouldn't want to eat the waffle alone, maybe with a little butter and maple syrup, which might be the only two things this sandwich is missing (although their addition would make for some seriously sticky fingers.)

If you miss the preorder window, all is not lost at La Casita. You can still pop in on Saturdays and shop a limited selection of fresh-from-the-oven goodness. And Sundays are reserved just for walk-ins, where you can pick up cruffins, croissants, loaves of bread and everything you need to wrap up your weekend the right way.

You're a quick learner, we're sure, and you won't miss preordering from La Casita again. In fact, maybe you should order two chicken and waffle sandwiches next weekend, just to be on the safe side. Because, when it comes to new takes on weekend brunch classics, there's no such thing as too much of a good thing.

La Casita Bakeshop, 580 W. Arapaho Road, Suite 230, Richardson. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday.