This post was written in a paid partnership with Manitoba Chicken Producers. As always, all opinions are my own and I only promote products and services that I use and love.
May Long Weekend is just around the corner. You may be one of the lucky ones who scored a campsite for this unofficial start of summer or you may be heading to a family cottage to open up for the season. You might also be staying home, enjoying the comfort of your own backyard like I am. Wherever you choose to celebrate the long weekend, this DIY Chicken Toast Bar featuring three toast recipes from Manitoba Chicken Producers is a great option for a lunch or a snack.
The basics
To set up this toast bar, all you need is shredded chicken, toasted baguette slices and a few fresh toppings. Here are three toast recipes that you can make:
You may have seen these recipes featured on Great Tastes of Manitoba Season 31, Episode 6- Toast to MB Chicken. If not, you can watch it here to see how they’re made.
Setting up your Toast Bar
Here are some recommended ingredients for your toast bar:
- Toasted baguette slices
- Chicken (roasted, shredded, sliced or chicken fingers)
- Two spreads
- Hummus
- Pesto
- Olive tapenade
- Baba ghanoush
- One or two soft cheeses
- Ricotta
- Brie
- Fresh mozzarella
- Goat cheese
- Two to three fresh toppings
- Tomatoes (fresh or roasted)
- Greens (arugula, cilantro, dill, sprouts)
- Avocado
- Roasted red peppers
- Finishing touches
- Fruit preserves or jam
- Balsamic reduction
- Capers
- Pine nuts
- Dried fruit (blueberries, apricots, cranberries)
Meal Prep Tips for your DIY Toast Bar
You can set up your toast bar to be as simple or elaborate as you want. Most of the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time, to make this a quick and easy snack or lunch, perfect for a day of yard work, camping or sitting on the dock.
Here are some steps that you can take to prep your toast bar ahead of time:
- Slice the baguette (toast it just before serving for maximum crispness)
- Cook and shred or slice the chicken
- Make hummus
- Roast tomatoes
- Other fresh toppings need minimal prep, like fresh arugula or herbs, tomatoes, avocado & capers
Store-Bought Shortcuts for your DIY Toast Bar
If you’re looking for maximum time-savings, here are some store-bought shortcuts that you can try:
- Rotisserie chicken from the deli
- Chicken fingers
- Crostini rounds (find them in the cracker aisle)
- Store-bought hummus (try a few flavors)
- Guacamole
- Oil packed sundried tomatoes
- Olive tapenade
- Capers
- Flavored goat cheese spread
What to do with the leftovers?
What happens if you finish off the baguette and you have a bunch of toppings leftover?
- Make a sandwich
- Make a wrap
- Add leftover toppings to a salad
- Make a quesadilla or some taquitos
- Add leftover chicken & tomatoes to Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is why this is the perfect weekend meal. The ingredients are so versatile that you can pack everything you need for the toast bar and have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Show us your toast bars! Tag @manitobachicken and @toobusylivin204 so we can see which ingredients you chose!