ITALIAN CHICKEN SLIDERS WITH TOMATO JAM

Ingredients

Tomato Jam:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Sliders:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, about 2 large breasts
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 slices pancetta
1 (8-ounce) piece fresh mozzarella, sliced into 12 slices
12 small crusty dinner rolls, cut in half with a fork
Tomato jam
12 fresh basil leaves

Directions

Tomato Jam:
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat for 3 minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic and let cook for another 2 minutes. Add all the remaining jam ingredients, except the parsley. Stir in 1/4 cup of water along with the onions and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced and the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

Sliders:
Pound out each piece of chicken until it’s about 1/4-inch thick. Slice each breast into 6 pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the pancetta until brown and crispy. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel.

In the same pan that the pancetta was cooked in, fry the chicken breast pieces over medium-high heat, in batches, for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese, cover with a lid and cook until the cheese is melted.

To assemble, put the chicken breast pieces onto the bottom half of each roll. Top with a slice of pancetta, then about 1 tablespoon of the tomato jam and a basil leaf. Cover with the top half of the roll and serve.