Southwestern Chicken Salad Sliders

Southwestern Chicken Salad Sliders 

These southwestern chicken salad sliders solve that age old kitchen dilemma of what to do with your leftover chicken.  I'm in the habit of roasting a whole chicken.  Not only is it cost effective, my daughter also loves the smell of roasted chicken when she comes in from school.  And I love to see her smile.  

But I have to admit that roasting a whole chicken was a lot more feasible when I had teenage boys at home and my hubby was still alive.  With the boys having grown up and moved out and my husband’s sudden unexpected cardiac arrest last year my family of five has dwindled to two.  

Likewise the leftover chicken problem seems to be arising more frequently.  Let’s face it, there’s only so much chicken that two people can consume.

These southwestern chicken salad sliders solve the age old dilemma with ingredients that are sure to revolutionize the way you think about boring chicken salad.  The fiery spices actually make these sliders a very nice addition to your game day table.  

And they're convenient too since the salad can be made a day in advance and the sandwiches assembled  right before your friends arrive.

Southwestern Chicken Salad Sliders 

Prep time: 15-20 min

Servings: 18-24 depending on roll size

Ingredients

• 10 oz chicken breast (cooked, cold & diced)
• 1 ear of corn (grilled & niblets removed)
• ¾ cup black beans (rinsed & drained)
• ½ red pepper diced
• ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• ½ cup salsa
• 2 chipoltle peppers in adobo (diced)
• slider rolls of your choice (I used Schar gluten free ciabatta rolls)

 For Garnish

• avocado slices
• habanero cheddar or jalapeno jack (sliced or grated)
• romaine lettuce

Video Tutorial:

Instructions

1. In a bowl large enough to mix the entire salad, stir together the sour cream, salsa and diced chipotles until well combined. 
2. Add the diced chicken, corn, black beans and red peppers and stir until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. To build the sliders add a piece of lettuce to the bottom of the slider bun.  Add some chicken salad then top with avocado slices, cheese and the top bun.

Notes: 

1. To grill the corn, place it onto a hot grill pan then rotate every minute or so for 5-6 minutes or until you have a little color on all sides.  You can substitute drained canned corn or the frozen variety if you want. 
2. Optionally you can toast the slider buns to add flavor and texture.
3. Inserting sandwich picks into the sliders will help to keep them together when serving.