Chicken Parm Spaghetti Sliders

While working on putting together a menu for Return To Rest this winter, my sister sent me a video of spaghetti sliders from Delish.  I had recently pinned a recipe for Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches from Yellow Bliss Road.  I decided it was time for a recipe mash up.

These pack lots of yummy flavor into a smallish-mediumish slider sandwich.  Think cheesy garlic bread meets spaghetti meets chicken parmesan.  The whole time you make them you will be wondering how it will be possible to eat them without looking like an uncoordinated toddler.  But when they come out of the oven and you smell them, you will decide you don't care.  You'll grab a fork because you are going to try to stay adult while eating them.  Then your good sense takes over and you just pick it up and eat it.  And seriously -- they aren't too messy at all.  But if you want to wear a bib, no judging here!

We do it big around here -- this recipe is a double recipe and you can certainly reduce it in half.  But here's the best part of the double recipe -- these come together super easy.  And it is a great opportunity to bless someone else with a meal, or tuck an extra meal away in your freezer for a crazy day.  These will freeze just fine!

Chicken Parm Spaghetti Sliders

2 - 12 pack slider buns
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 lb. box of spaghetti
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
a couple shakes of onion powder
a couple shakes of salt
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 stick butter (melted)
2 t. garlic powder
1-2 t. garlic salt
parsley (garnish)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Prepare spaghetti pasta as normal and after draining, toss with spaghetti sauce.  While pasta is boiling, heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds - 1 min.  Add tomato sauce, basil, oregano, onion powder and salt.  Bring to a fast simmer and reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes.  Add chicken, 1 c. mozzarella cheese and 1/2 c. parmesan cheese.  

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 x 13 pan with butter.  Slice slider buns in half and arrange bottoms in baking dish.  Mix melted butter, 1/4 c. parmesan and garlic powder.  brush bottoms of slider buns lightly with butter mixture.  Sprinkle with desired amount of garlic salt (I just give a light sprinkle from bottle and don't bother with measuring it.)  If you want a bit of heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes too.  Spoon the chicken parm mixture evenly on each slider bun.  Press down.  Take a fork and twist it in the big pot of spaghetti. Lift spaghetti bundle out and place on top of chicken.  Repeat for all slider buns.  Top with desired amount of mozzarella cheese and place slider bun tops back on.  Brush remaining butter/parm over top the buns.

Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.  Just want to toast up the tops of the buns a little bit.  You'll see the parmesan cheese turn golden and that's when you want to pull it out.  Top with fresh (or dried) parsley flakes.  Serves 6.

Warm Winter Harvest Salad

This recipe is inspired by my first visit to Sweet Green in Boston, Massachusetts.  My sister took me when I was in town visiting and I loved the filling burst of flavor this salad bowl has to offer.  We don't have this restaurant in Charlotte so I had no other option but to create my own version.

I tested the recipe on my family and it was met with honest critique from my kids.  Maybe less goat cheese.  Maybe if you kept everything separate.  Yes! I like everything separate!  I like everything except the quinoa. (what???)  But it was adult approved.  So the recipe made its debut in January at Return To Rest, a retreat for ladies.  After requests for the recipe, I decided the old family blog was the best way to give others access to it.  So forgive the old fashioned blogger template and sparse posts.


















Warm Winter Harvest Salad

5 small sweet potatoes (approx 2 lbs)
1 bag of chopped kale
2 chicken breasts (cooked & diced)
2 diced apples (a sweet variety - I used pink lady)
1 c. quinoa*
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. slivered almonds (toasted)
4 T. olive oil (divided)
1/4 c. crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c. balsamic vinaigrette
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Peel and dice sweet potatoes.  Toss in 2 T. olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes - or until soft.  While sweet potatoes are roasting, cook quinoa according to package directions, using chicken broth in place of water.

Go through bag of kale and remove large stems.  Throw away stems.  Heat remaining 2 T olive oil in medium saute pan.  Add kale leaves and season with salt.  Saute until warm and wilted.

Assemble salad by mixing ingredients and topping with goat cheese crumbles.

This salad make a large bowl -- serving 5-6.  It is just as tasty served cold the next day!

*you can sub rice or couscous for the quinoa -- and pasta would be delicious as well.  You want about 2 cups cooked of whatever you choose.