Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sliders

So I'm apparently having a slider addiction.  I can't keep myself away from these delicious little burgers!  They are so stinkin' cute and who doesn't love a miniature version of a classic?  Ever since I first made the Beefy Onion Sliders, I've been scheming new slider recipes in my head!  I've come up with one that I think is going to be a hit.  It starts out with a spicy ranch dip, mixes in a little chicken and bacon and finishes up with some ripe sliced avocado on top.  What's not to love?  Time to get started... This recipe requires a little prep time if you want to add in the spicy ranch dip (which you totally will).  I made the dip around lunch time and let it work it's magic in the refrigerator until I was ready for it at dinner.  For the dip you will need the following:

Jalapeno Ranch Dip
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
1 jalapeno (with or without seeds, depending on how much heat you want your dip to have)
1/2 cup Salsa Verde (I use Herdez brand)
a dash of cayenne pepper

Slice and dice the jalapeno.  Mix all of the ingredients together and thoroughly mix.  Refrigerator until ready to use...this gets better the longer you let it sit in the refrigerator.

Once you are ready to make your sliders, you will need the following:

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
1 pound ground chicken
4 slices of bacon,
1/4 cup Jalapeno Ranch Dip (see above) plus some for spreading on the slider buns
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack and Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
sliced avocado.
Oh, and you need slider buns.  Oops...left those out of the photo!

Start by cooking your bacon using your favorite method.  I prefer to do it in the oven, but when I'm in a hurry I try to do it on the stove top.  Oh, and if you do it this way, make sure you pay attention to your bacon.  Don't try to take ingredient photos when you should be cooking your bacon; otherwise, you might end up with this:

a sad, sad sight.  Inedible, overcooked bacon.  I almost cried when I had to throw these pieces away.  I did try to eat them, but they were too cooked!  While your bacon (perhaps your 2nd batch) is cooking, start cooking your ground chicken in a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat.  While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle it with about a teaspoon of the ranch seasoning.  Once cooked, add in your diced up bacon, 1/4 cup of the Jalapeno Ranch dip, and the cheese.  It will start to look like this:

as C describes it, "A little like scrambled eggs!" Thanks honey!  That doesn't make it seem at all appetizing, but it really is.  While the cheese is melting, slice the slider buns and spread a little Jalapeno Ranch dip on each side.  Evenly distribute the chicken mixture on your sliders and then top with a nice slice of avocado (you could spread some guacamole on top if you prefer, that would be delicious too).  Once all steps are complete, you should have something that looks like this!

Toss them in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, just long enough to heat the bread and get it a little crispy around the edges.  Serve them up with chips and the extra Jalapeno Ranch dip!  Just like this!

Mmm, mmm!  This was quite the delicious experiment!  This is just what you need on a night when you have to throw something together faster than the speed of light.  Even if you don't have time to make the Jalapeno dip, you could always substitute your favorite ranch dressing!  I'm loving the mini burger - I'm dreaming up a few others, stay tuned!