Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Chicken Salad with Bacon and Green Grapes

A creamy, crowd-pleasing chicken salad with crispy bacon, crunchy water chestnuts, and a hint of sweetness from fresh green grapes. Perfect for lunches, sandwiches, or a light summer meal.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 4–6

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green grapes, halved
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons onion, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Cook the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and place in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through with no pink remaining. Drain and set aside to cool completely before mixing — warm chicken will make the dressing greasy and wilted.
2. Cook the bacon. While the chicken cooks, fry the bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble once cooled.
3. Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dried parsley, minced onion, lemon juice, ground ginger, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine everything. Add the cooled chicken, crumbled bacon, drained water chestnuts, sliced celery, and halved grapes to the bowl with the dressing. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
5. Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors come together. Serve on croissants, sandwich bread, lettuce cups, or with crackers on the side.

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Tips for Success

This salad is even better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld in the fridge. A rotisserie chicken works great here if you want to skip the boiling step entirely — just shred or cube the meat and you're ready to go. For extra crunch, stir in a handful of toasted pecans or sliced almonds.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Pullman Loaf Size)

 

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

A soft, slow-baked loaf with just enough tang — perfect for everyday sandwiches and toast.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Rise time: 1–2 hours | Bake time: 45 minutes | Oven temp: 350°F

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Ingredients

• 500 g bread flour
• 250 g warm water
• 100 g sourdough starter, active and bubbly
• 60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 20 g granulated sugar
• 10 g salt
• 7 g instant or active dry yeast

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Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. This tells you the yeast is alive and ready to work.
2. Add the starter. Stir in the sourdough starter until combined. The mixture will look a little shaggy at this stage — that's totally normal.
3. Mix in the flour and salt. Add the bread flour and salt. Mix until a rough dough forms, making sure all the flour is incorporated.
4. Knead in the butter. Add the softened butter a little at a time, working it fully into the dough before adding more. Knead for 8–10 minutes by hand (or 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer on medium) until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
5. First rise. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
6. Shape the loaf. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently stretch it into a rectangle roughly as wide as your loaf pan, then roll it up tightly into a log. Pinch the seam closed and place it seam-side down into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
7. Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise again for 45–60 minutes, until the dough has crowned about an inch above the rim of the pan.
8. Bake low and slow. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil around the 30-minute mark.
9. Cool before slicing. Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets properly.

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Tips for Success

Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before you begin — feed it 4–8 hours ahead if needed. The butter must be truly room temperature (soft enough to press a finger through) or it won't incorporate smoothly. Low and slow baking is what keeps this loaf tender and prevents the crust from getting too thick.

Classic White Sandwich Bread Recipe for Pullman Bread Pan

 

Classic White Bread

A simple, dependable white bread with a soft crumb and golden crust — great for sandwiches, toast, or just eating warm with butter.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Rise time: 1–2 hours | Bake time: 20 minutes | Oven temp: 425°F

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Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups (540 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups (315 g) warm water
• 1/4 cup (60 g) warm milk
• 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp (9 g) instant or active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
• 1 tbsp (12 g) salt

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Instructions

1. Proof the yeast. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk, warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy. This confirms your yeast is active and ready to go.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the salt, softened butter, egg, and flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough comes together, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Knead the dough. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when you poke it. If it feels sticky, add a small amount of flour a tablespoon at a time — but avoid adding too much, or the bread will turn out dense.
4. First rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let it rise in a warm spot for 1–1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Shape the loaf. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten it into a rectangle roughly as wide as your loaf pan, then roll it up tightly into a log. Pinch the seam shut and place it seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch bread pan.
6. Second rise. Cover loosely and let the dough rise again until it has crowned about an inch above the rim of the pan, about 45–60 minutes. Don't rush this step — a full second rise gives you a lighter, more open crumb.
7. Bake. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Keep a close eye on it — at 425°F, the crust can darken quickly. Tent loosely with foil if it's browning faster than you'd like.
8. Cool before slicing. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10-20 minutes before slicing. It's tempting to cut in right away, but letting it rest keeps the crumb from turning gummy.

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Tips for Success

Make sure your milk and water are warm but not hot — around 100–110°F is the sweet spot. Too hot and it will kill the yeast; too cool and it won't activate properly. If you're not sure, it should feel like comfortable bathwater on your wrist. Softened butter blends in much more easily than cold, so pull it out of the fridge about an hour before you start.

Takeout Style Burger Sliders

Mini Slider Burgers 

These have been accused of tasting a lot like a mini Big Mac, or even an In N Out burger. They're a great way to feed a family, and a fanastic meals for nights at the ballpark! 

 Ingredients: 

• 1- 12 bun package of Hawaiian rolls 
• 1 lb Ground Beef 
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 TBSP worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp pepper 
• Burger Sauce (Magnifisauce from Trader Joe's) 
• Onion (optional) 
• 4 Cheese Slices 
• Butter for spreading (or oil spray works too) 
• Sesame Seeds for topping 
• Shredded Lettuce 
• Pickles 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450. 

Place ground beef in a bowl with onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and mix well.  

On a sheet pan, make a foil liner for half of the pan (or about the size of your slider buns). Make sure you have walls on all sides to catch any liquid. 

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Turn up to broil and bake for 3 more minutes. 

Cut sliders in half, erring on the side of a thicker bottom. Spread burger sauce on the bottom of the rolls. Place cheese slices on top of the sauce. Add your cooked beef on top of the cheese. If you like onions, add your chopped onions on top of the burger. 

Toss your foil layer, wipe down, and place your sliders on the tray open-faced. Grab the top layer of rolls, coat them with your butter/oil. Top with sesame seeds to look like mini burgers. 

Cook on low broil/450 for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tops are slightly brown. 

Remove from the oven, and top your burgers with pickles and lettuce. 

Add the top layer to your burger base, and cut into individual burger bites ready to eat. 

Swig Sugar Cookies

 

Swig Sugar Cookies

Adapted from the OG recipe! This is the original and BEST recipe for copycat Swig sugar Cookies!

 Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

 Total Time 18 minutes

 Servings 24 cookies

 Calories 293 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cups Vegetable Oil

• 1 1/4 cups Sugar

• 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar

• 2 Tablespoons Water

• 2 Eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 5 1/2 cups Flour

Sour Cream Frosting

• 1/2 cup room temperature butter

• 3/4 cup Sour Cream

• 2 cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1. Cream together butter, oil, sugar, water, and eggs in a stand mixer.
   

2. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and slowly add to the butter mixture.

3. Mix just until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.

4. Roll a golf ball-sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet with a few inches for spreading.
   
   

5. Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above). Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press, and it gives these cookies their signature edges.
   
   

6. Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.  You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass.  If there is a lip its even better.
   
   

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom. Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool, put them in the fridge.
   
   

8. Start by creaming together butter, sour cream, and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like add a splash of milk.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

9. Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve.  The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature.  Frost right before serving (if you make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up before serving)

Sourdough Banana Bread

 

Sourdough Banana Bread

• 10 minutes
 
• Cook Time: 65 minutes
 
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
 
• Yield: 1 loaf or 3 mini loaves 1x

You will need a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan or three 7x3x2 mini loaf pans for baking.

Ingredients

• Butter, for coating the pan

• 375 g overripe bananas (appx. 1 1/2 cups lightly smashed)
• 225 g (1 1/4 cups lightly packed) light or dark brown sugar
• 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 100 g (appx. 1/2 cup) active sourdough or discard works too
• 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 125ml (½ cup) neutral-flavored oil
• Powdered sugar, butter, and mascarpone cheese for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 360 F.
2. Lightly coat three 7x3x2 mini loaf pans or one 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter.
3. Add the bananas, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl. Cream with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, about 30 seconds to 1 minute (some small lumps of banana are okay).
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the sourdough starter.
5. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Working in batches, add this to the banana mixture.
6. Add the milk and oil and mix until just combined. Do not over do it; the banana bread will be tough.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). If using the mini loaf pans, place them onto a baking sheet and transfer to the oven.
8. Bake for 45 minutes (for the mini loaf pans) or 60- 65 minutes (for the standard 9×5-inch pan), until rich golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cover with foil if the loaf browns too quickly.
9. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Serve with powdered sugar for a nice touch!

White Sourdough Sandwhich Bread (Melanie's Recipe)

 White Sourdough Sandwich Bread
from: tweakitwithmel.com  

Makes 3 sandwich loaves

Ingredients

• 3 cups warm water
• 1–1½ cups active sourdough starter
• ½ cup honey
• 1 egg (optional)
• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2–3 cups whole grain flour
• 5–6 cups all-purpose flour

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Instructions

Make the Dough

• Add water, starter, honey, egg (optional), oil, salt, and whole grain flour to a mixer (such as a Bosch) or a bowl. Mix until combined.
• Add 4 cups all-purpose flour and mix again.
• Continue adding more all-purpose flour as needed, mixing between each addition, until the dough comes together into a smooth ball and clears the sides of the bowl.
• When you lightly press the dough with your finger, it should not stick much.

Knead

• Knead the dough in the mixer for 3–5 minutes, OR turn it out onto the counter and knead by hand — pushing it over on itself, flipping, and repeating from another angle until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer the kneaded dough to a large bowl or Tupperware. Cover lightly with a lid or plastic wrap — do not seal tightly. The sourdough needs room to breathe.

First Rise

• Let the dough sit on the counter until doubled in size, about 8–10 hours.

Shape & Second Rise

• Once doubled, remove dough from the container and form into 3 loaf shapes.
• Place into butter-greased loaf pans. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let double in size again.

Bake

• Place loaf pans on top of a pizza stone to prevent the bottoms from getting too dark.
• Bake at 350°F. After 20 minutes, cover the tops with foil to prevent over-browning.
• Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of a loaf — bake until the internal temperature reaches 180°F.
• Remove pans from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. The resting time allows the loaves to sweat and release from the pan more easily.
• If a loaf doesn't release easily, run a butter knife around the edge to loosen.

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Notes

• This dough is also great for pizza crust, fried bread, rolls, breadsticks, and buns.