Chicken Sandwich Spread

This creamy chicken sandwich spread is chopped fine and perfect to spread on toast, crackers, or simple slices of white bread. Enjoy this as a light lunch or as part of an easy party spread.

Chicken sandwich spread is a creation that was inspired by my finely chopped ham salad spread, and my classic chunky chicken salad. This easy recipe is essentially a recreated chicken salad chopped more finely to make it wonderfully spreadable. Best of all, this can be made quickly with basic ingredients you may already have on hand!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken - Use boneless chicken breasts or any leftover chicken in the refrigerator. If you don't have any on hand, the easiest option is to grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
• Hard boiled eggs - These can be optional if you wish. However, I love the contrast in texture they provide. For a tangier flavor use pickled eggs.
• Mayo - This adds the creaminess and makes it spreadable.
• Dijon mustard - Yellow mustard can be substituted, or mustard can be totally omitted.
• Sweet pickle relish - You can substitute chopped sweet pickles, or even fresh dill. If not using sweet relish, I would add a little lemon juice.
• Celery - It can be omitted, but fresh diced celery adds a really nice crunch.
• Onion - Onion powder can be substituted, but diced onion adds wonderful texture.
• Seasonings - Salt is the only one you need, but adding a dash of cayenee or black pepper would both be great options.

How to make it

The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare. Once all of the ingredients are prepped they simply get mixed together in a bowl. You can serve it right away but the flavor will improve if you allow it to meld in the refrigerator overnight.

The most important aspect to making this spread is ensuring your dice all of the ingredients properly. You are striving for a small dice to allow everything to be easily spreadable with a knife. If you chop the chicken and vegetables into large chunks it will be too chunky to spread.

I prefer to chop everything with my chef knife, but you can throw it all in a food processor as well, just be careful not to over work it. Chopping the chicken, in particular, is important to acheive the right consistency. If you simply use shredded chicken the spread will be too chunky.

How to serve it

You have quite a few great serving options to enjoy this spread. Obviously, as a "sandwich" spread, making it a sandwich is the primary intention, but you can give any of these ideas a try:

• Spread on toast or on a slice of bread
• Spread or dip with crackers
• Serve on croissants
• Enjoy directly out of a bowl

This can be a delicious light meal, so I would recommend serving your chicken sandwiches with a green salad, fresh fruit, or another fresh side.

Note: Since this is a mayo-based food, don't let it sit at room temperature all afternoon at a party or you will risk food poisoning. I recommend not letting your chicken spread sit out for more than two hours.