Frosted Party Sandwiches

Frosted Party Sandwiches (Photo by Southern Living)

I've made this for a few baby/wedding showers over the years, and it was a hit each time.   I like to make one large loaf, with the chicken salad on the bottom layer, egg salad in the middle layer, and pimiento cheese for the top layer.  This way, you get three flavors with each slice.  Also, get creative when frosting the loaf with the cream cheese mixture, using cake decorating tips for fancy piping around the bottom, so it looks more like a cake from the bakery.

Recipe by: Amy Bradt                                                                          Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients
1 cup Chicken Salad (recipe below)
12 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1 cup Egg Salad (recipe below)
1 cup pimiento cheese spread (make your own with this recipe)
8 ounces cream cheese with chives and onions, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons milk
Garnishes:  celery leaves, paprika, shredded Cheddar Cheese

For the Chicken Salad:
1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
For the Egg Salad:
4 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Beat cream cheeses and milk at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread evenly over top and sides of each stack. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Garnish chicken salad sandwich with celery leaves, egg salad sandwich with paprika, and pimiento cheese sandwich with Cheddar cheese, if desired.

Chicken Salad:
Place chicken breasts in a large skillet; add broth. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from skillet, and let stand 15 minutes or until cool to touch. Pulse chicken in food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides.  Combine chicken, celery, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl. Stir mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients into chicken mixture. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.  Store any remaining chicken salad in an airtight container up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Egg Salad:
Stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Store any remaining egg salad in an airtight container up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Original recipe from: Southern Living May 2006