If you’re on the hunt for an easy fall lunch or dinner idea, you can end your search with these mouthwatering Chicken and Apple Melt Sandwiches with Smoked Cheddar. These quick and simple open-face sandwiches are a perfect balance of creamy chicken salad, crisp apple slices and melty, gooey cheese. This delicious combination of wholesome ingredients becomes a warm and comforting meal in a matter of minutes, that is perfect for busy weeknights or cozy fall weekends.
Imagine biting into a warm sandwich with crispy, cranberry-studded bread, creamy chicken salad and fresh apple slices, all covered in a melty layer of smokey cheese. In just a few minutes, you can elevate your sandwich game to include these delicious Chicken and Apple Melt Sandwiches with Smoked Cheddar. These simple sandwiches will delight everyone, whether you serve them as an easy lunch, cozy weeknight dinner or fall brunch. To make these melts, look for a loaf of bread containing dried cranberries, raisins or other dried fruits to form a textured and flavourful base. A layer of maple mustard slathered on the toasted bread adds both tang and a little sweetness. The chicken salad is creamy, mainly due to the addition of plain Greek yogurt with just a little mayonnaise, for a lighter take on classic chicken salad that has all the delicious savoury flavour but less fat. Adding a layer of fall-fresh apple slices delivers sweet and crisp contrast. The open-faced sandwich is topped with a generous amount of smoked cheddar cheese that is melted under the broiler until bubbly and gooey. All together, these Chicken and Apple Melt Sandwiches with Smoked Cheddar make a simple, but warm and memorable meal, perfect for cool and cozy fall days.
What Goes In Chicken Apple Melt Sandwiches with Smoked Cheddar?
- Cooked Chicken: If you have leftover roast chicken (or leftover roast turkey from Thanksgiving!) these sandwiches are a great way to put the extra meat to delicious use. If not, start with a good quality store-bought rotisserie chicken. The recipes calls for 4 cups of chopped cooked chicken, which is about the amount you’d get from one rotisserie chicken.
- Green onions: Also known as scallions or spring onions, green onions add subtle onion flavour.
- Celery: Finely chopped celery adds fresh flavour and crunchy texture to the chicken salad.
- Fresh Thyme: For best flavour, be sure to use fresh thyme leaves. Reserve some extra for sprinkling over top of the finished sandwiches for extra flavour and good looks.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: This recipe cuts the fat and ups the nutrition by replacing most of the mayonnaise in a traditional chicken salad with creamy, plain Greek yogurt. It tastes just as delicious, and adds additional protein and nutrients to the mix.
- Mayonnaise: Just a small amount of mayonnaise is added to the chicken salad for extra flavour. If mayonnaise isn’t your thing, simply replace it with additional Greek yogurt.
- Kosher Salt: How much salt you need for this chicken salad will depend on the salt content of your chicken. Some store-bought rotisserie chickens are brined in a salt bath before roasting to keep them moist and juicy, which can result in very salty chicken. Add a small amount of kosher salt to the chicken salad, then taste it. If you used a low salt chicken, then add more salt to taste. If your chicken is already quite salty, you may find you don’t need any more. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in my recipes, which is less salty per volume than other brands, such as Morton’s or Windsor Kosher Salts. If you use a brand other than Diamond Crystal, use a light hand with the salt and add more to taste if needed.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: This recipe tastes best with lots of freshly ground black pepper added to the chicken salad. How much pepper you add to the recipe is up to you, but I usually add about 6 or 7 good cracks, then taste, then add more!
- Maple Mustard: If you have access to a good quality, prepared maple mustard, then go ahead and use it. Since Maple Mustard is not readily available in all areas, you can quickly mix some up by combining Dijon mustard with a little mayonnaise and some pure maple syrup.
- Cranberry Bread: Look for a freshly baked loaf of bread containing dried cranberries or other dried fruit. Raisin bread also works well as a base for these chicken apple melts. Pure Bread bakery here in Whistler sells a loaf of bread that contains dried cranberries, raisins and chopped candied ginger and it is absolutely delicious in this sandwich. (That’s in no way a paid endorsement, just a personal recommendation.)
- Fresh Apple Slices: Crisp fall apple adds delightful flavour and texture to these Chicken Apple Melt Sandwiches. One large apple is usually enough to produce 16 slices, but if your apples are smaller you may need two.
- Smoked Cheddar Cheese: The crowning glory on this delicious open-face sandwich is a thick layer of gooey, melty, smokey cheese. Apples and cheddar cheese are a classic pairing and using a smoked cheddar elevates the flavour even further. Pile it up high on top of the sandwich and watch how the cheddar melts and drips over the edges to cover the sandwich in delicious, cheesy goodness!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
SERVING SUGGESTIONSTo round these Chicken and Apple Melt Sandwiches with Smoked Cheddar into a delicious fall meal, serve them alongside a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Soup or with a hearty salad. Sometimes I make these sandwiches with leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas Turkey instead of the chicken, and serve them with Turkey, Leek and Wild Rice Soup (another great recipe for reinventing holiday leftovers!)
DRINK PAIRINGS
DRINK PAIRINGSI like to pair Chicken and Apple Melt Sandwiches with Smoked Cheddar with a fruity, slightly spicy red wine, such as Zinfandel or Syrah. The tannins in these wines cut through the richness of the cheddar and chicken salad, and compliment the smokey and fruity flavours of the sandwich. Another natural pairing for this sandwich would be a dry, crisp apple cider (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) or Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail.
Chicken Salad Apple Melts with Smoked Cheddar
These quick and simple open-face sandwiches are a perfect balance of creamy chicken salad, crisp apple slices and melty, gooey cheese. This delicious combination of wholesome ingredients becomes a warm and comforting meal in a matter of minutes, perfect for cool fall days.
Ingredients
Chicken Salad
- 4 cups Chopped cooked chicken (leftover, or from a store bought rotisserie chicken)
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 Tbsp Fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Maple Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Sandwich Assembly
- 4 large slices of bread with cranberries or other dried fruit
- 16 slices apple
- 100gr/3.5 oz smoked cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
Make the Chicken Salad:
- In a medium size mixing bowl, gently fold together the cooked chicken, green onions, celery, thyme, yogurt, 2 Tbsp of mayonnaise, kosher salt and several cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preference. Set aside. (Make ahead: Chicken Salad can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the fridge.)
Make the Maple Mustard:
- In a small dish, stir together the Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp of mayonnaise and the maple syrup until smooth. (Make ahead. Maple Mustard can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the fridge.)
Assemble the Sandwiches:
- Move a rack to the centre of the oven and preheat the broiler.
- Lightly toast the slices of bread in the toaster. Place the slices of toasted bread on a baking sheet and spread each slice with some of the maple mustard. Mound the maple mustard-covered slices with the chicken salad, spreading the chicken salad in an even layer out to the edges of the bread. Top each sandwich with 4 slices of apple, then sprinkle the smoked cheddar overtop of the apple slices.
- Place in the oven and broil until the cheese is gooey and melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each sandwich with additional fresh thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
RECIPE NOTES
- To make these sandwiches even quicker, the components for these Chicken and Apple Melts can be meal prepped ahead of time, and assembled just before broiling. Make the chicken salad and the maple mustard up to 4 days in advance and store in the fridge in separate covered containers.
