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Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon, Avocado Melt: Crusty ciabatta bread layered with homemade honey mustard, shredded rotisserie-style chicken, provolone and Havarti cheeses—baked until everything’s melty and golden. Finished with crispy bacon, creamy avocado, and a final drizzle of honey mustard. Every bite is as delicious as it sounds.
You can use leftover grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or my roasted lemon pepper chicken (in recipe notes)—whatever you’ve got works.
I always go through phases with food—fall in love with something, forget about it, and then rediscover it all over again.
Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon, Avocado Melt | halfbakedharvest.com
Right now? Sandwiches. Bacon. Honey mustard. These are the flavors I naturally circle back to, especially in spring and summer. Maybe it’s the memories—like sitting at the CYC, the yachting club in my hometown, ordering a club sandwich, chicken salad, or good old chicken fingers with my nonnie.
No matter the reason, I love to make sandwiches this time of year. I’ve been swapping my usual prosciutto for bacon and using a lot of rotisserie chicken, too.
Convenience, but with flavor!
These are the details
Ingredients – for the honey mustard
- mayo
- dijon mustard
- honey
- lemon juice
- chipotle chili powder
- cayenne pepper
- salt
Ingredients – for the melts
- ciabatta bread
- honey mustard
- baby spinach
- pepperoncini and or dill pickles
- rotisserie chicken
- provolone cheese
- havarti cheese
- crispy bacon
- avocado
- fresh basil
- fresh dill
- sun-dried tomatoes
- parmesan cheese
Special Tools
Just a bread knife and sheet pan!
Steps
Step 1: the honey mustard
Start by making homemade honey mustard. You might not think it’s worth the effort, but it’s far superior to the store-bought stuff. It’s very creamy and easy to make, just mayo, Dijon, honey, chipotle chili powder, cayenne, and salt.
Whisk everything until creamy – super easy. Plus, you can control the ingredients, so nothing funky in your dressing.
Step 2: assemble
Begin assembling the sandwich. I use ciabatta bread, but fresh focaccia or sourdough would be yummy too! I like using the whole loaf of ciabatta so I can easily and quickly make all the melts at once instead of making 6 individual melts.
Slice the loaf in half lengthwise. Working with the bottom piece first, spread on a bit of honey mustard and add all of the baby spinach. Then layer with pepperoncini and/or dill pickles—I use both. Then add the rotisserie chicken (see my notes if you want to do your own), Havarti, and provolone cheese.
Step 3: bake
Once you have everything layered, put the baking sheet in the oven to warm the sandwich and melt the cheese.
When the cheese is melted, pull the pan out of the oven. Add the crispy bacon, slices of avocado, fresh basil, dill, and some extra honey mustard. Finish with the top piece of bread.
Step 4: the topping
The next step is optional, but I do love it! Take chopped up sun-dried tomatoes, plus some of the oil from the jar, and a few tablespoons of parmesan and mix them together. Rub the oil over the top piece of bread, then finish baking.
I like to bake for 5-10 minutes more to get the sandwich nice and toasty. You can also try cutting the sandwich and using a panini press to really press it down.
Step 5: enjoy warm and melty
Pull the sandwich out of the oven and use a long bread knife to cut it through. It will be a little messy, but we love the sandwich best when it’s warm!
There’s just something about this sandwich—the vibrant colors, the bold flavors, the way everything’s tucked between layers of melty goodness. But let’s be real… the best part? It’s insanely delicious!
Looking for fun family dinners? Here are my favorites:
Sheet Pan Honey Buffalo Chicken with Broccoli
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Creamy Jalapeño Verde Sauce
Lastly, if you make this Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon, Avocado Melt, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Melts
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 754 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. To make the honey mustard. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or glass jar. Taste and adjust the salt.2. To make the sandwich. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lay the bread, cut side up, on a cutting board. Working with the top piece of ciabatta, pull out some of the insides to create a space for the filling. Spread the honey mustard over the bottom piece of bread. Now add the spinach and sliced pepperoncini/pickles. Layer half the cheese and the chicken on top. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.3. Remove from the oven. Add the remaining cheese and the bacon. Arrange the sliced avocado over the bacon. Add the basil, dill, and some more honey mustard. Add the top half of the ciabatta and gently push down on the sandwich. 4. In a bowl, mix the sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup oil, and the parmesan. Rub the top piece of bread with the oil. Bake another 5 minutes until toasted.5. Remove from the oven. Slice into six sandwiches. Serve and enjoy!
Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken: Preheat the oven to 425° F. In a baking dish, toss 1 pound of chicken breasts and or thighs with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons cajun seasoning, and a good pinch of black pepper. Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, until lightly charred and cooked through. Finish with the zest of a lemon. Thinly slice or shred.
