Southwest Chicken Salad Slider Melts.
You know how sometimes in life you just completely lose your appetite? I mean, I BARELY know about that because I always seem to be ravenous, but I do believe that there are a few times in people’s lives when your appetite is nonexistent. Unfortunately this ridiculousness usually occurs after something horrible happens, like the death of a family member or a breakup or whatnot.
So not fair.
My most memorable (and only?) appetite loss occurred when I was 18 and broke up with a boyfriend who truly wasn’t worth the appetite loss at all, but whatever. For like 13 days or some outrageous number like that, I had zero appetite and only ate two things: Cheez-It’s and peanut butter spoons peppered with chocolate chips. Not even kidding. I wanted nothing else but those things, and even then, just tiny BITES of those things. Nothing else. It was the WEIRDEST THING EVER – clearly, since I remember it to this day. Oh, but I also remember that I was able to fit into a very cute and inappropriate tube top.
Side note: Should I get a life and stop commiserating over things I ate 10 years ago? I’m saying no.
Right now, I’m dealing with some of that appetite loss because of this wretched ear/sinus mess I have going on. I can’t hear, taste or smell, which seriously makes eating no fun at all. I can’t decide what I want, because I don’t crave anything. So I bought a box of Cheez-It’s, hoping that would help. It didn’t. They just don’t taste as good as they did 10 years ago. But whyyyyyy? Whatever.
I’ve had a few ice cream-covered spoons, but only because they feel good on my throat. Can’t taste ’em at all. I’ve snuck a few pieces of chocolate, because… I am me. I don’t know who I’m sneaking them from, but I’m sneaking them anyway. And two nights ago I had about three spoonfuls of boxed mac and cheese that tasted like, well… nothing. Because I can’t taste anything. Duh.
So as I went to whip together this chicken salad yesterday, I was all whiney and restless and in all “OMG but how will I even know if it tastes good?” mode. Me and all my miserableness was manifesting all over the kitchen and spouting off vibes of this sickness is NEVER GOING TO END and my life is over and I will never taste food again, ever.
But then I pulled these out of then oven, and I could sort of smell them and stuff. I immediately was drawn to the melted cheddar that was blanketing the chicken, corn, and black beans, and the bread was toasted to my idea of perfection. There was no way I wasn’t going to eat these, so I scarfed them like there was no tomorrow. AND! I sort of even tasted them. This chicken salad doesn’t have to make it’s way into a melt, and you can totally eat it like normal-person chicken salad, but… I highly recommend the cheese.
I know that’s so unlike me.
Southwest Chicken Salad Slider Melts
[inspired by my grilled greek chicken salad]
makes about 12 slider sandwiches
1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup black beans
1/3 cup sweet corn
3/4 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
3-4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
12 slider buns, dinner rolls, or bread slices
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Throw in onions, peppers and 1/4 teaspoon salt, mixing to combine. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. In a large bowl, combine chicken, onions + peppers, black beans and corn, mixing well.
In a smaller bowl, combine greek yogurt, remaining salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika and cilantro, mixing well. Add yogurt to the chicken mixture, stirring well to coat and combine. You can eat/serve your chicken salad in a traditional way, or to make the sliders, toast the bread or buns, scoop a few spoonfuls of the chicken salad on top of one bun, add some cheddar slices, then pop under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, until cheese is melted and chicken is warm. Top with bun and eat!
P.S. bacon. Yes. It’s a good idea.
70 Comments on “Southwest Chicken Salad Slider Melts.”
Love this because it uses Greek yogurt instead of mayo! I don’t know why, but I just don’t like mayo. It’s not a health thing … it’s a taste thing. Thanks for sharing, it looks awesome!
Yes yes… I’m in the same boat!
i agree! mayo turns me off to any recipe. can’t wait to try these!
Greek Yogurt … a great alternative for those with egg allergies. What a great recipe!
Great idea!
Has anyone tired 0% Yogurt? That’s all I have on hand. Thanks!
I definitely think it will work – especially if you enjoy the 0%!
I’d rather die than eat mayo. I’m literally scared of its nastiness *shudders*
This sounds awesome!
I’m with you, losing my appetite makes me very uneasy…with food as such a focus, when I don’t want to eat there is like a gaping void in my day.
oh and burnt tongue = my most feared injury.
This looks divine! I love tuna melts, I’ll have to give these a try sometime soon.
Hurrah for tiny food that you can actually taste! I hope you feel better soon :)
Yummy. I’ve pinned to my “dinner” board. Sorry you aren’t feeling well, hope that passes quickly. Can I just tell you that I still “sneak” peanut butter spoons peppered chocolate chips on a weekly basis. Not just for the tormented 18 year old post-break up girl, I tell ya!!
I love that you used greek yogurt! I just made a chicken salad with greek yogurt and it was a huge hit! http://binomialbaker.blogspot.com/2012/06/moms-favorite-sonoma-chicken-salad.html Your recipe sounds amazing and I’m going to have to give it a try! Plus, I love that you made sliders (mini food is so cute!)
These look so yummy! And cheez-its and peanut butter/chocolate chips….sounds like my pregnancy diet.
Your little square toasts are so cute! I also rarely lose my appetite, and can’t really think of a time that I have. However, one way to divert my mind totally away from my stomach is to put me in a shopping mall with money to spend. Now THAT is a good distractor! I hope your sinus cold clears up soon! :)
I think I’ve had a minimal appetite MAYBE once in my entire life- MAYBE! ….Greek Yogurt instead of mayo- love how creamy that would make this!
I’m very impressed with how you still cook even when you’re sick.
I’m having such a love/hate relationship with cooking right now, I might actually be on the look-out for germs as a reason to NOT have to cook.
Because I awesomely manipulate sickness into getting me out of chores. Or something.
I am so sorry that you are sick, but that salad would make me feel much better, so many good tjings together! Love it!
Ya, I was going to say that it looks so good alone! So good with the cheese too though!
I love it when you do savory reipes!!! This looks wonderful!! Very summery and good for Father’s Day this weekend!!
Not tasting anything is like my worst nightmare.
Okay, my worst nightmare is meeting Ryan Gosling on a day that I didnt’ put any make up on. But after that, it’s not tasting anything.
I’ll take all of these sliders off your hands, since you can’t taste them. I’m just helpful that way.
As a sidenote, if you cut out dairy–milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.,–your sinus infection thing will go away faster. Dairy produces mucus, which you obviously have too much of. If you don’t eat dairy and gargle salt water three times a day, it’ll thin out the mucus and make your sinuses a lot happier! I’ve already had one sinus infection this summer, and it went away in half the time because I cut out dairy! Just a helpful hint! :)
Hmmmm verrrry interesting. Thanks!
That chicken salad looks so good! :)
Isn’t it weird how appetite loss works? It doesn’t happen to me very often, but once, after a breakup, the only thing I could force myself to eat for about two weeks was McChickens. How gross.
Understandable. Seriously.
I don’t lose my appetite often either, but after a bad breakup, all I could stomach were baked potatoes off Wendy’s $.99 menu. Ugh.
Chicken salad without mayonnaise! And WITH corn salsa! Major win.
This looks incredible, and I’m so glad to see that it’s Greek yogurt and not forty pounds of mayonnaise. I like mayo in small doses, but only when mixed in things. When I don’t know it’s there!
But, since starting up with eating healthy and exercising daily (sometimes twice daily) this past Monday, this is actually something that I could eat! (http://captainmicah.blogspot.com/2012/06/back-in-saddle-again.html) For health reasons, I might have to suffer through without the cheese…I could put those calories towards bacon anyway.
Thanks for sharing! Yum!
I love that you took the crust off. Crust is overrated.
Yum! I love this little sandwich, it’s so creative!! I should of had this for dinenr last night!!
Love all the extras you added. Great twist on chicken salad!
cheese makes everything better. i’ve never lost my appetite EXCEPT for when i had morning sickness when i was pregnant. but then i was starving all the time and afraid to eat – torture!
I want to shovel these into my face. ALL of them.
And the toast doesn’t scratch your throat? ;)
These look like a freaking wet dream to me.
This is right up my alley considering I’m going through a huge chicken salad phase (is it still considered a phase if it’s lasted for months?). Can’t wait to try this!
I’m always sneaking pieces of chocolate…even though it’s my chocolate that I bought and put in my cabinet. Still feels like I’m sneaking it.
love chicken salad and everything is better when toasted with melted cheese on top. hope you feel better soon!
Boo for the sickies. Double boo. Glad you got some comfrot food – I know cheese/bread always (ALWAYS) does the trick for moi.
I swear you have some of the best recipes. This looks absolutely amazing!!
I hope that you’re feeling better!
Once that happened to me in my twenties. I could only eat tiny portions of tomato basil soup. I still have a pair of jeans from that phase. I just look at them wistfully. I can fit my arm in one of the legs.
But these little adorable sliders have the opposite effect- they make me ravenous!
I hope you feel better soon! Eating without taste is a horrible experience!
I second that! My appetite never goes away, even when people tell a gross story. I don’t even understand how my friends’ appetites go away, it’s mind boggling.
Also, how are you not like 300 pounds? The food you eat is absolutely scrumptious looking, I don’t think I’d be able to resist eating the whole thing at all once! :P Either you must have an incredible metabolism, or you work out like a maniac! haha.
Aww…I hope you feel better soon! The slider looks amazing, and I love that there is no mayo!
love that idea for a chicken salad remix. i’m a mayo hater too.
Love the beans & corn & paprika..and that green bowl is perfect for this recipe. Love it when the bowls match the food :)
And I hope you get better soon!
YES, bacon! I absolutely agree. This is awesome!
“Happy Cooking”
Feel better! These look awesome.
I hope you are feeling better soon! The only time I have ever lost my appetite was when I had the stomach bug a few years ago. When I’m depressed I tend to eat more junk and in bigger quantities :)
Yuuuuum!!!! I want like 457,000 of these right now!!! That cheese looks so bubbly and delicious! Also, mad props for the photos on the burnt up looking cookie sheet. It gives them a depth they wouldn’t have otherwise! And maybe one day I’ll stop using exclamation points too…!….
I’m going through a head-sinus thing too, right now, so my appetite is shot, but I know all too well the break-up loss of appetite. After one partcularly painful break-up, I did not eat for a month, outside of a cracker or two a day and sipping orange juice. It was insane – no appetite at all, I had to start drinking muscle milk to get some nutrients into my body! That said..maybe if I’d had these chicken sald slider melts in front of me, it would have broken the ‘mourning’ spell enough to eat! They look terrific!
I love the greek yogurt and I love you!! :-D
At first I thought that was hollandaise on top and my eyes nearly popped out of my head! Those look so delicious!
i love how wonderfully normal your cookie sheet, or whatever pan you used in this pictures is. You are human! I never would have guessed because you blow my mind pretty much every morning with your recipes.
I LOVE this recipe, but I think I love the back story even more. Even in times when you shouldn’t have an appetite…like when you are sick, I still want to eat. I thought I was the only person on Earth like this so I am glad to know I have a friend in you:)
Pinned this one and making it SOON!
Hi Jessica
I hope you read this because this should be right up your alley. I am a long time reader and know you LOVE James Taylor.. well so do me and my husband. So much so that we are going to a concert of his in Chicago at a smaller venue that allows food and booze to be brought, picnic style. Can you throw out some suggestions for sandwiches or salads or snacks that would go well in the outdoors? I appreciate the inspiration!
Okay this is what I am thinking… I would probably make 2 different salsas (maybe 1 fruit and 1 veggies) and bring a bunch of different chips, like pita and corn, etc. Can you take a cooler with you? If so, I’d probably also buy a few different Italian meats, maybe 3-4 cheeses, and then have crackers and breads and fruit preserves and fresh + dried fruit to eat it all together. If you want something with a little more substance, what if you buy a large loaf of bread and make a big sandwich on it before you leave… like different meats/cheeses/veggies/dressings?? Then you can cut it into slices and wrap it up? I don’t think I’d do any warm dips or anything. Actually… the above is probably exactly what I would bring! And maybe some cookies to round it out??
I will be making this tomorrow… if I can last this long. Might need to be my midnight snack. Because I too can eat at any time of the day :)
xo,
mini baker
I love this spin on chicken salad. Looks great!
It’s a pretty salad.
I love Mexican food when I’m sick (and pretty much every other day too). But spicy food always seem to help open up my sinuses. Definitely will be saving this recipe!