This is a cute, diminutive play on Marlboro Man’s Second Favorite Sandwich. (Please enjoy that vintage post of mine! My fingers were much skinnier back then.)
Anyway, this the same general sandwich—grilled chicken, chewy bacon,
and gooey cheese—but in precious little slider form for precious little
slider-friendly occasions such as, oh…I don’t know…the SUPER BOWL?
Which is this Sunday? And I can’t wait? Because I love huge televised
sporting events? Because they’re yet another reason to eat?
Who are you rooting for, by the way? I’m Ravens all the way. But only because my baby tells me I am.
The point I’m trying to make is this: These sliders are the perfect
football-friendly, rib-sticking snack for this Sunday. And because
you’ll be making a bunch of them, you can have some fun and switch up
the cheese you use, the sauce you drizzle on, or the toppings you throw
on at the end. You can make sixteen sliders exactly the same, or you can
make all sixteen sliders totally different.
Have some fun with them!
Start by slicing some bacon in half…
And fry it up…
Until
it’s cooked all the way but still just a little bit chewy, because
bacon that’s just a little bit chewy is the best kind of bacon.
Everyone knows that.
Slice the chicken breasts in half…
Like dees! One chicken breast turns into two thinner chicken breast-shaped pieces. You’ll have eight pieces at this point.
Slice the pieces in half. One piece will be thicker…
And one piece will be thin.
Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the thicker pieces…
And pound them gently with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten them out.
I love pounding chicken. It makes me feel tough, and I like the weird squishy sound.
Now you’ve got a bunch of nice, thin chicken “patties.”
Season the chicken with a little Cajun seasoning…or seasoned salt…or lemon pepper…or anything you’d like!
And now, I’d like you to be naughty and retrieve a little bit of the bacon grease from the skillet…
And brush them on the grill pan (or skillet, whichever you’re using.)
Throw on half the chicken…
Then be naughty again and brush a little more of that glossy goodness on the top side of the chicken.
Cook ’em for a couple of minutes on the first side…
Then flip ’em over to cook ’em on the other side.
Right after you flip ’em, lay a slice of cheese right on top…
Then lay on a couple of bacon slices.
Okay, three. 
Or, you could lay the the bacon on first…
Then grab a slice of pepper-jack cheese…
And lay it on top of the bacon.
Either way is fine! If you put the bacon on top of the cheese, its
melty goodness will stick to the melted bacon. If you lay the cheese on
top of the bacon, it will trap the bacon under the melty goodness.
Everyone wins!
Let ’em go until the cheese is all melted…
Then place them on the bottom halves of small dinner rolls.
Um…YUM!
Here are some variations for the rest of the chicken: Drizzle some Louisana hot sauce onto the chicken…
Then top with little slices of Provolone. 
Then grab some celery hearts and rip off the greens…
And put them on top of the chicken. 
Buffalo chicken sliders!
I’ll take four, please.
And how good would these be with blue cheese dressing, I ask you?
But wait! There’s more!
Drizzle on some barbecue sauce…
And throw on some bacon.
Bacon and barbecue sauce.
Totally M.F.E.O.
Ever had a bacon barbecue burger?
Ever had one with jalapenos?
Then you haven’t lived.
Speaking of which…jalapenos would be delicious on these.
Oh my.
Here’s the Buffalo version again.
Delicious.
Hey…guess what? All of these’ll be perfect for the Super Bowl! And remember: you can change ’em up however you’d like!
Change the kind of cheese you use. Cheddar, American, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack.
Change the sauce you drizzle on the chicken. BBQ, Louisiana, Sriracha, Teriyaki.
Spread the buns with mustards and mayos to give them a little kick. Dijon, Mayo, Chipotle Mayo, Panini Spreads.
Change the sauce you drizzle on the chicken. BBQ, Louisiana, Sriracha, Teriyaki.
Spread the buns with mustards and mayos to give them a little kick. Dijon, Mayo, Chipotle Mayo, Panini Spreads.
The world is your oyster!
I mean your chicken bacon slider.
Enjoy these, guys. I’ll post more Super Bowl treats this week.
Here’s the handy dandy printable!
Recipe
Grilled Chicken Bacon Sliders
- Prep Time:
- 15 Minutes
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Cook Time:
- 15 Minutes
- Servings:
- 16 Servings
- 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (breast Halves, Not The Whole Breast)
- 16 slices Thin Bacon
- Cajun Spice
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 16 whole Small Dinner Rolls
- 16 slices Cheese Of Your Choice (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, American, Swiss)
- Bottled Sauces Of Your Choice: BBQ, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Teriyaki, Etc.
- Toppings Of Your Choice: Tomato Slices, Grilled Onions, Lettuce, Celery Leaves, Etc.
- Spread Of Your Choice: Mayo, Mustards, Mayo Mixed With Chipotle Pepper, Etc.
Slice bacon pieces in half and fry over medium-low heat until
Place the palm of your hand flat on the top of each chicken breast. Apply light pressure as you slice it horizontally in half (be careful!) When you're finished, you'll have eight thinner chicken breast pieces. Slice each of these in half so you'll wind up with sixteen small chicken "patties." Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the thicker pieces and pound gently with a rolling pin to flatten slightly.
Brush both sides of the chicken pieces with a little bit of the bacon fat, then season with Cajun spice and salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a grill pan if you have one, or a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook chicken pieces on the first side for a couple of minutes, then flip them over to the other side. Lay slices of cheese (whatever kind you'd like) on top of each piece, then top with a couple of bacon slices. Cook until chicken is done, then remove from the pan.
Spread both sides of dinner rolls with the spread of your choice (mayo, mustard, etc.) and the toppings of your choice (tomato, lettuce, etc.) Place chicken pieces in between halved dinner rolls. Serve immediately!
Variations:
* Brush a little BBQ sauce on the chicken before laying on the slice of cheese and the bacon.
* Brush a little Louisiana hot sauce on the chicken. Add bacon, then top with a bunch of celery leaves before putting inside the buns.
* Change up the cheese, toppings, however you'd like!
Place the palm of your hand flat on the top of each chicken breast. Apply light pressure as you slice it horizontally in half (be careful!) When you're finished, you'll have eight thinner chicken breast pieces. Slice each of these in half so you'll wind up with sixteen small chicken "patties." Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the thicker pieces and pound gently with a rolling pin to flatten slightly.
Brush both sides of the chicken pieces with a little bit of the bacon fat, then season with Cajun spice and salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a grill pan if you have one, or a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook chicken pieces on the first side for a couple of minutes, then flip them over to the other side. Lay slices of cheese (whatever kind you'd like) on top of each piece, then top with a couple of bacon slices. Cook until chicken is done, then remove from the pan.
Spread both sides of dinner rolls with the spread of your choice (mayo, mustard, etc.) and the toppings of your choice (tomato, lettuce, etc.) Place chicken pieces in between halved dinner rolls. Serve immediately!
Variations:
* Brush a little BBQ sauce on the chicken before laying on the slice of cheese and the bacon.
* Brush a little Louisiana hot sauce on the chicken. Add bacon, then top with a bunch of celery leaves before putting inside the buns.
* Change up the cheese, toppings, however you'd like!
