Chicken Sliders

So, the wife recently volunteered us to take care of the menu for my niece’s baptism party. It’s my first duty as godfather, so I didn’t take the responsibility lightly. My suggestion? Gougères, Blini, and Sous Vide Beet Risotto. Maybe throw in some Deviled Eggs, with a side of Beet Chips?

The wife’s response: “There will be 17 children in attendance. And everything will have to be pre-made.”

Make-ahead sliders it is!

My wife found a recipe for “crack chicken sliders” on the internet. They were…fine. We modified them, same basic idea, but a little more flavor, a little less goop. Think, a couple extra slices bacon, a lot of chives, generous topping of garlic. Oh, and less cream cheese, which, don’t get me wrong, we love cream cheese, but less is more in this case. Trust me.

Yield: 12 sliders

INGREDIENTS

8 slices bacon
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 c chicken broth
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 whole chicken breast (2 halves), bone-in
2 c (200 g) cheddar or pepper-jack cheese, grated
1/4 c (20 g) chives, 1/16-inch-sliced. Yes, it’s a lot. Do it anyway.
12 slider rolls. The internet likes Hawaiian rolls for “added sweetness.” We think that’s gross, and used small potato rolls, but you do you.
2 T (30 g) good butter, melted
2-3 cloves (5 g) garlic, minced
1/2 c (20 g) parmigiano-reggiano cheese, finely grated
Salt & pepper to taste. JK, this recipe really doesn’t need any additional salt (thanks, Hidden Valley), but a lot of black pepper went into the chicken mixture.

Mis en Place (Prep Work)

Cook the bacon.
Recommended cooking method: Place bacon slices onto a baking sheet lined with foil (atop a rack is best if you have one, but straight on the foil is fine). Place baking sheet into a COLD oven, and then turn to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool before chopping.

Cook the chicken, if not using leftover or purchased rotisserie chicken.
Recommended cooking method: Buy 2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts with bone in, skin on; this will result in a much moister chicken than boneless/skinless. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the chicken breasts on a foil-covered sheet pan skin side up. Rub olive oil and season with with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Cool slightly, discard the skin and bones, and slice or pull the chicken into bite-size pieces for use in below recipe

Cut cream cheese block into cubes

Measure chicken broth

Grate cheddar or pepperjack cheese. Divide; .5 cup and 1.5 cup, which will be used separately

Chop or finely slice chives or scallions. You’ll need at least .25 cup for the recipe, chop an additional couple tablespoons to sprinkle atop for garnish

Melt 2T butter

Mince garlic, and add to melted butter

Finely grate the parm. reggiano

Grease a 13x9 baking pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place a large pot over medium-low heat on the stove.

Add cream cheese, chicken broth, onion powder, and ranch mix to the pot. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

Add chopped bacon, chicken, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, and green onions to cream cheese mixture. Stir to mix. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if desired.

If your rolls aren’t pre-sliced, cut them in half so you have tops and bottoms.

Place the bottoms of the roles on a  greased 13x9 baking pan.

Spread chicken mixture over roll bottoms. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese over the filling. Top with the top half of the buns.

Melt butter & stir in garlic. Brush over buns. Sprinkle Parmesan and extra chives over buns.

Bake sliders for 8-10 mins until cheese is melted and tops are golden. Remove from oven. Cool slightly and then cut before serving.

Make-Ahead Notes

The chicken and cream cheese mixture can be made ahead of time, but do not assemble sliders until just before baking to avoid soggy buns!