Name: Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups chicken breast (rotisserie works great here); 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup pesto; 8 slices mozzarella, large slices; 3 Roma tomatoes, diced; 1 tsp fresh basil, sliced thin; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; 2 tbsp butter; 1 clove garlic; 1 tbsp parmesan cheese; salt, to taste; pepper, to taste; 12 slider rolls (such as King's Hawaiian rolls)

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Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders is the perfect combination of pesto chicken salad, topped with bruschetta style tomatoes, loaded with cheese and then a little more cheese and brushed in garlic butter. These irresistible mini sandwiches make one tasty meal or appetizer to share with a crowd.

You guys, I have never been a chicken salad fan. I know, who doesn’t like chicken salad? Well, that would be me. There’s just something about this mixture that is not my cup of tea. But, these Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders might have just converted me. They start with a chicken salad base with a good helping of pesto, get a burst of flavour in a tomato and basil mixture, extra cheese, of course, and wow are they delicious! My little family demolished these mini sandwiches. They are so so good!

I feel like pesto is one of those universal sauces that works with so many things. It’s not restricted by seasons. You can enjoy a light pesto salad or a grilled chicken breast basted with pesto in the summers and in the winter hearty, warm pesto pasta is pure comfort food. It’s truly perfect all year round.

We’ve been on a pesto kick these days. I always buy the store-bought version, it’s easy, and we love it. Eventually, I will make my own. I know fresh is best and all that, but I only have one little basil plant and he looks so pathetic after, I pluck off a few leaves off. I dream of a backyard with a giant herb garden with basil that grows wild. That would be my outdoor heaven. We have so many plans for our backyard. If money, time and energy weren’t an issue, it would look like I just stepped onto an outdoor set at the Food Network Studio. What does your ideal yard look like?

We go in spurts with pesto. Right now, we’re eating it at least once a week. Usually, it’s in a quick grilled cheese or on a naan bread pizza. I like to mix it up now and then and that’s where these Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders come in to play. They started out as just a cold chicken salad sandwich, then I added the pesto, then some bruschetta style tomatoes and then cheese, and a bit more cheese and well, then, it needed to be heated. And they are one tasty mouthful. Give these a go this week. I’m sure you’ll love them.

How to Make Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders

Start by dicing your tomatoes small, slice the basil into thin ribbons and mix both with a bit of balsamic vinegar and salt, let this sit while you start the sliders. The longer these basil tomatoes can sit, the better their flavour. My suggestion is to always start with these, so these can marry together for a while before spooning them onto the sliders.

Next, you’ll want to make the chicken salad mixture. Cut your chicken into small pieces, I love using a rotisserie chicken here, they’re so easy and work well for so many meals. We go through a ton of rotisserie chickens in our house, we use them on nachos, in pasta dishes and soups, they’re so versatile. Once you’ve cut up the meat, mix it with the mayonnaise and pesto, and season with salt and pepper.

Slice a dozen slider buns in half, it’s easiest to buy the ones that are still attached to each other, like King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls. I like to use a package of regular dinner pan rolls, but whatever you like best will work fine. Lay the bottom of the rolls in a greased baking dish. Top with four slices of mozzarella cheese, you may need more depending on how big your slices are. You’ll want enough cheese to cover the bottom of each slider. Layer on the chicken pesto mixture and spoon the basil tomatoes over top of everything. Top with more mozzarella and then cover with the bun tops.

The secret to these sliders is the garlic butter that gets brushed over everything, it’s so good. Adds a whole extra layer of flavour and makes these irresistible. Mix together the melted butter, garlic and parmesan cheese. Finish by brushing this on the top of each bun, covering the pan with tin foil and baking until the cheese is melted and the sliders are warm through.

Like I said earlier, we demolished these mini sandwiches. The basil tomatoes with the pesto chicken mixture are so so good. Everything is better with extra cheese, and mozzarella is perfect for those fancy cheese pulls. The garlic butter that soaks into the bread is the cherry on top. Try stopping at just one slider, I bet you can’t, we couldn’t!

Loved Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders? Check out these other irresistible recipes, I’m sure they’ll hit the spot:

If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!

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5 from 1 vote

Pesto Chicken and Basil Tomato Sliders

An easy pesto chicken salad topped with tomatoes and basil for an irresistible slider. Packed with flavour these mini sandwiches make a perfect meal or appetizer to share with a crowd.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, pesto, sandwich, slider

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 sliders

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chicken breast (rotisserie works great here)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pesto
8 slices mozzarella, large slices
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp fresh basil, sliced thin
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
12 slider rolls (such as King's Hawaiian rolls)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish by greasing the bottom.
Dice your tomatoes small and mix with basil and balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set this aside, to marry while you make the rest.
Cut chicken into very small pieces and mix with mayonnaise and pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste, combine until well mixed.
Cut rolls in half. If they're still attached to one another, cut the whole batch together. Lay the bottom of the rolls into the prepared baking dish. And begin layering with four slices of mozzarella. Top with pesto chicken and spread to the edge of the rolls. Spoon on tomatoes and basil mixture and cover with remaining mozzarella slices. Then cover with top of buns.
In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, garlic and parmesan. Brush this over the top of the buns. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted. Serve immediately.