Name: Blue Plate Kitchens BPK Chicken Salad Melt Recipe
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced (rotisserie or roasted); 3 oz seedless red grapes, halved; 0.5 cups celery, finely diced; 1 each red apple (e.g., Fuji or Gala), cored and small-diced; 0.25 cups toasted walnuts, roughly chopped; 0.5 cups mayonnaise; 2 tbs plain Greek yogurt; 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 2 each pretzel buns; 4 slices thick-sliced American cheese (or American-style cheese), slices; 6 strips cooked bacon strips; 2 tbs butter, softened; 1 each ripe tomato, sliced; 4 leaves red leaf or green leaf lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried; 2 tsp honey; 1 tbs Dijon mustard; 1 tsp mayonnaise; 0.5 tsp apple cider vinegar; 0.125 tsp salt

Method

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Prepare fruit and nuts

Halve the grapes, core and small-dice the apple (leave skin on for texture). Roughly chop the toasted walnuts and set aside.

Mix dressing for chicken salad

In a medium bowl combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk until smooth and homogenous.

Combine Waldorf ingredients

Add 2 cups shredded/diced cooked chicken, 3 oz halved grapes, 1/2 cup diced celery, diced apple, and 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts to the dressing. Fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with up to another 1/4 teaspoon salt or a pinch more pepper if desired. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the sandwich (or keep chilled until assembly).

Honey Mustard

Whisk together 2 tsp honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust balance of honey or mustard to preference. Set aside.

Sandwich Assembly & Grilling

Prep buns and butter

Slice the 2 pretzel buns in half horizontally. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon softened butter on the cut side of each bun half (total ~2 tablespoons). This will help achieve a golden grilled exterior.

Assemble open-faced

Place the bottom halves of the buns, butter-side down, on a cutting board. Divide the Waldorf chicken salad evenly between the two bottoms (about 1 cup each). Top the chicken salad on each with 2 slices of American cheese, arranging to cover the filling.

Add bacon and top bun

Place 3 strips of cooked bacon on top of the cheese on each sandwich. Add 1–2 slices of tomato and 2 lettuce leaves per sandwich on the top half of the bun (do not yet place top on melted side). Brush the outside (non-buttered side) of the top bun lightly with remaining butter if desired for color.

Grill to melt cheese

Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat (about 325–350°F / 160–175°C). Place the assembled bottom bun halves (with chicken salad, cheese, bacon) buttered side down on the skillet. Immediately place the top bun halves, buttered side up, over them to create a closed sandwich. Cover the skillet with a lid or a large metal mixing bowl to trap heat and steam, which helps melt the American cheese. Grill for 3–5 minutes until cheese is melted and buns are golden; check after 3 minutes to avoid over-browning. If using a panini press or sandwich press, grill at medium heat until cheese is melted and exterior is toasted, about 3–4 minutes.

Finish and serve

Remove sandwiches from the skillet and let rest 1 minute. Open the sandwiches, drizzle about 1 teaspoon of the honey mustard onto each bottom half (or spread evenly). Reclose, slice each sandwich in half if desired, and serve immediately with extra honey mustard on the side.

Bpk Chicken Salad Melt Recipe