Chicken Salad Melt

 




 

Like the common tuna melt or patty melt, I first discovered the chicken salad melt while working in southern Indiana. A melt is a type of sandwich made with any type of bread (I prefer wheat) and is filled with meat and cheese.  It’s almost like a stuffed grilled cheese. If you fall in love with this sandwich (like I did) and you go to lunch but it’s not on the menu...ask. Sometimes they have all the ingredients and can make it for you. Or you can always make it yourself. Yum Yum!

There are only 4 ingredients in making a chicken salad melt: 

2 slices of bread
Butter
2 slices of cheese
Chicken salad 

There are many types of cheese that can be used. I'd stick to a semi-hard pre-sliced cheese like Swiss, Monterey Jack, cheddar, Colby or provolone. Monterey Jack comes in many variations.

Monterey Jack	Mild  Variations:  Caraway, Garlic, Garlic & Chive, Green Chili,  Habanero, Hot Pepper, Jalapeno, Mediterranean,  Mediterranean olive, Onion, Pesto, Rosemary, Salsa, Smoked Salmon and Sun-Dried Tomato	White Semi-firm to firm	A very popular cheese that was created in California. Use as a snack, in sandwiches, a topping for a salad or in cooked foods.

Sometimes people add tomatoes and lettuce to their sandwich.  I do not use the chicken salad that is loaded with grapes and nuts, just white chicken, some celery and mayo. You can make your own chicken salad.

 Ingredients:

 2 12.5 cans of chicken or



3 cups of chicken breast that has been boiled 45 minutes then cut into cubes.
1 stalk of celery, choppedd
2 tsp of season salt and
1/2 cup of mayonnaise

Make sure the cheese is melted like a grilled cheese sandwich. Toasted bread that you just add cheese and meat is not a melt.

Directions:

Heat the skillet on the stove at a med/high heat. Butter one slice of bread on both sides and only one side of the other. Place the slice that is buttered on both sides in the skillet and flip it when it looks toasted. Remove it when both sides look done.  Reduce the heat to medium so the bread isn't done before the cheese melts. Place the slice of bread that is buttered only on one side in the skillet butter side down. Take the cheese and place it on top of the bread.  Leave in the skillet until the cheese starts to melt, then remove that slice. The other side should look toasted. Put the first slice back in the skillet and add the chicken salad. Place the bread with the cheese on top. Take the melt out of the skillet and cut it in half.  Serve with your favorite side dish. Yum Yum! 

Patty melts (made with a hamburger patty) were a staple at many US diners back in the 1950's and even possible in the 1940's.  Sometimes you may be lucky enough to find a chicken salad melt on today's menus. This menu is from Sids Restaurant in Noblesville, Indiana.