Chicken Melt

Sometimes the best meals come out of spontaneity: opening up your fridge or cupboards and seeing what you have in stock. I don't have the luxury of doing that very often. The week is pretty hectic so I usually have to plan around work, and I'm the kind of shopper who needs to bring a detailed grocery list with me or otherwise I'll buy everything that fancies my whim and end up throwing a lot out before I can get through it.



Leftover roast chicken, celery, green onions, parsley, mayonnaise, gruyère cheese. It's the perfect making of a chicken salad melt. A fabulous way to use up leftover roast chicken (or turkey!), but you can always poach and roast some chicken for the occasion as well.The chicken salad is amazing on its own, but adding the cheese to create a melt really brings the sandwich to a new height.



I based the recipe off of the Tuna Melt recipe from Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn. I used Stonemill's Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Bread. The sweetness of the cranberries worked so well with the saltiness of the chicken salad and cheese. Use any bread of your choice. This sandwich is absolutely gorgeous. Try it, you'll love it.

Chicken Melt
Adapted from Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn
Serves 2

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 stalk green onions, finely chopped (both white and green parts)
1 stalk celery, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lemon, or to taste
Pinch of paprika
Few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste
4 slices bread of your choice
4 slices cheese (Gruyère, Emmenthal, Swiss or Old Cheddar will all work well)

Lightly toast the slices of bread in your toaster.

While the bread is toasting, place all the ingredients except for the cheese in a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Top the slices of bread with the chicken salad and top each with a slice of cheese. Place the sandwiches under a broiler until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Enjoy!