Buffalo Chicken Salad Melt

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Are you a sandwich connoisseur, or do you tend toward other options?

In England, back in 1762, the sandwich was introduced as a portable meal alternative. A gambler in London desired a meal that he could eat at the gaming table without leaving the game, and thus the double-decker bread with meat called a sandwich was born.

I am one of those people who loves the idea of a great sandwich. However, I don’t enjoy bread. Yep, I said it. Bread, to me, is a necessary vessel for all the other flavorful elements.

As a young girl, my family served lots of Wonder white bread, and we visited the store to buy day-old loaves. Maybe this is where my lack of interest began. My family quickly learned if they had any chance of me eating a “sandwich,” it either had to have the crusts cut off or have only one slice of bread. So grilled cheese for me as a kid was a slice of bread, toasted and buttered with cheese slices. Melted under the broiler and then cut into three portions for dipping in tomato soup.

Fast forward to an adult who desires a grilled sandwich alternative. However, preserving the one slice of bread style requires the ingredients and seasoning to elevate the meal. Below is my current go-to grilled cheese un-sandwich recipe.

Did You Know

Sourdough advantages:

• Promotes healthy aging

• Controls blood sugars

• Improves digestion

• Gut-friendly prebiotics and probiotic -like benefits

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Whatcha Need

• 1 ½ cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced

• ¼ cup carrots, finely diced

• ¼ cup celery, finely diced

• 1 tablespoon shallot, finely diced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise

• 2 ½ tablespoons frank's red hot sauce

• pinch cayenne pepper, optional

• 4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 8 slices tomato, thinly sliced

• 4 slices pepper jack cheese, sargento brand

• 2 green onions, green portion only sliced on the bias

How It’s Made

1. Adjust an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, carrots, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and cayenne (if using).

3. Arrange the toast on a baking sheet, lightly brush with extra virgin olive oil, and place two slices of tomato on each.

4. Divide the chicken salad mixture evenly among the slices and top with one slice of pepper jack.

5. Broil until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it to avoid burning.

6. Sprinkle warm sandwiches with bias sliced green onions.

7. Serve hot.