sliding into home. [grilled chicken sliders w. roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, bacon & basil aioli]

I often prefer food and dessert in mini form. Not only is it easier to eat, but it also doesn’t make me feel as guilty about eating an entire hamburger or cupcake. :)

While home for Father’s Day, my mom and I racked our brains for new recipe ideas. We worked with ingredients already in the fridge/pantry, minus a few we had to buy at the store, and came up with these delectable grilled chicken sliders.

The bite of the aioli worked brilliantly with the saltiness of the bacon and slightly charred tomatoes . The sandwich was also great for its complexity of textures.

I’d say these sandwiches were a home run. :)

Roasted tomatoes recipe:

6 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. coarse kosher salt, or to taste

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

6 large plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.), quartered lengthwise

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Stir 6 tbsp. oil, garlic, dried basil, pinch of salt and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add tomato quarters and stir to coat. Let stand 5 minutes, or more. Line baking sheet with foil and remove tomatoes from marinade. Arrange tomatoes, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet (reserve leftover marinade for hamburger buns).

Roast tomatoes until skin is browned and blistered and tomatoes are very tender, about 35 minutes. Cool tomatoes on sheet.

Basil aioli recipe:

1 cup good quality mayonnaise

3 Trader Joe’s frozen garlic cubes, or to taste

4 Trader Joe’s frozen basil cubes, or to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Chicken sliders recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

Garlic basil oil, leftover from roasted tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella

Roasted tomatoes

Freshly cooked bacon strips

Fresh basil leaves

Garlic aioli

Directions:

Pound 4 raw chicken breasts, then cut in half. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly brush grill with olive oil, then place chicken on the grill. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Once chicken is cooked, place a generous slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each piece. Close grill and cook until cheese is melted.

Brush both sides of hamburger buns with the leftover oil from the tomatoes. Place buns face down on grill and cook until toasted.

To assemble sandwich, top bottom bun with chicken and mozzarella, bacon slices, roasted tomatoes and basil leaves. Spread bottom of top bun with garlic aioli, then place on sandwich.