Chicken-Apple Sliders With Roasted jalapeno Peppadew Cheese Spread

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds chicken breasts, rough chopped
• 32 ounces apple juice
• 12 slices black pepper bacon
• 5 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
• 6 small mini sweet peppers
• Cheese spread
• 7 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 Cup minced peppadew peppers
• 1 1/2 tablespoon grated garlic
• 2 Teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Patties
• 3/4 Cup finely chopped peeled red apples
• 1/2 Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh minced sage
• Dry rub
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 Cup vegetable oil for grates
• 12 potato slider buns
• Spinach
• 3 Cups baby spinach
• 1/2 Cup chopped green apples
• 2 tablespoons Sutter Home Pinot Grigio Wine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

• Coat chicken in apple juice and set aside to marinate.
• Bring grill to medium-high heat.
• Cook the bacon in a heavy bottom skillet on the grill until crispy, about 10 minutes, reserving the grease. Half 6 slices and set aside for plating. Rough chop 6 slices, add to a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Add the jalapeno and mini peppers to the grill and cook until charred on each side, about 6 minutes. Once cooled, remove some of the skin and rough chop.
• Cheese spread
• Combine 1/4 Cup of cooked peppers, cream cheese, peppadew peppers, garlic, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Keep cool.
• Patties
• Add 1/4 Cup cooked peppers to a food processor, along with the drained chicken, apples, cheese, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Pulsate just until blended. Place in a double bowl with ice water in the bottom bowl to keep cold. Dip hands into the ice water and gently blend the mixture, divide the meat into 12 equal patties, making a small thumb indention to 1 side of each patty. Season the patties on each side with the paprika, black pepper, red pepper, salt, and granulated garlic.
• Generously oil the grates with a paint brush. Cook the patties about 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches, 150 degrees. Set aside.
• Add the buns cut side down to the grill for 1 minute per side. Remove to plater.
• Spinach salad
• Using the bowl containing the crumbled bacon, add 3 Teaspoons reserved bacon grease, spinach, apples, wine, olive oil, and minced garlic.
• To build the sliders
• Slather the cream cheese spread on cut side of buns. To bottom bun, add a thin layer of spinach salad, 2 slices bacon, the patty, more spinach salad, and the top bun. Serve with a bottle of chilled Sutter Home Pinot Grigio. Enjoy!