Barbecue Bacon Blue Sliders

These sliders. Oh my.

This recipe comes with a story. Occasionally I’ll look through the bakery at my grocery store for breads I’ve never tried. A few weeks ago I bought these little slider buns and when I got home I shoved them in my freeze and forgot all about them. I’m so glad I found them. Okay, short story but still.

There seems to be a lot going on here but don’t be intimidated! Once you marinade (I marinaded mine for 2 days but you can certainly whip this up the same day) the chicken, cook it and the bacon, the rest is pretty much just assembly. This works, so delicious.

Barbecue Bacon Blue Sliders
this ingredients list made 6 sliders

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, I used Sweet Baby Rays
1 large clove of garlic, grated
1/4 tsp ground smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt, to taste
4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
1/4 thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, I used Gorgonzola
Mustard, to taste, if you don’t like mustard you can try a bit of mayo or ranch dressing
Lettuce, optional
6 slider buns, toasted

Start by slicing the chicken about 3/4 of the way through the thickest part of the breast. Be sure not to slice through to the other side. This will allow the marinade to penetrate the chicken quicker and cook faster in the end. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the barbecue sauce, garlic, paprika, cumin and salt. Allow to sit covered in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours, overnight would be best.

I like to cook my bacon in the oven, there’s less mess in my opinion. Simply lay the strips on a baking rack (or a cookie cooling rack!) and put that over a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in a 375F oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking so the temperature has time to rise a bit. Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium to medium low heat for about 8 – 10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Don’t be afraid when you see some dark caramelization in the pan, the sugar in the barbecue sauce will start to turn brown, but it is not burned. You can also cook the chicken in a 375F oven for 15- 20 minutes. While the chicken cooks gather all of the remaining ingredients for the sliders.

When the chicken is cooked though remove it from the heat and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
To assemble the sliders:
Add mustard to the tops and bottoms on the buns, layer some onion, 3 – 4 slices of chicken, a few slices of avocado, 1/2 slice of bacon, 1/2 – 1 tsp of blue cheese and lettuce, if using.

I loved the mustard, a little goes a long way. And the blue cheese in this, it’s just perfect.  Did someone say Monday Night Football?