High Protein Buffalo Chicken Melt

This high protein buffalo chicken melt is a delicious lunch or snack idea that you will love! Eat one slice as a snack or two slices as a meal. I use cottage cheese as the cheesy base, then I add some homemade buffalo chicken salad, and some shredded cheddar cheese. Pop it in the air fryer, toaster oven, or oven until melty and enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Salad

The first step when you make this high protein buffalo chicken melt is to make some buffalo chicken salad. This homemade buffalo chicken salad is made with chicken breast, celery, green onion, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, ranch dressing, and buffalo wing sauce.

1. Chicken Breast – I boiled two chicken breasts but you can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. When I make homemade chicken salad I prefer to dice my chicken instead of shred it completely. I prefer this texture once it is mixed with the other ingredients.
2. Celery and Green Onion – I love these two ingredients in all chicken and tuna salad that I make. If you do not like the texture of this, you can try adding it to a nutribullet with the mayo, wing sauce, and ranch dressing and blend it completely into the sauce.
3. Mayonnaise – You will need about 3-4 tbsp of Mayo. I use regular mayo but feel free to use lite mayo if that is your jam.
4. Ranch Seasoning – I buy the big Hidden Valley ranch seasoning from costco. It is surprisingly low in sodium so you can add a lot without making this too salty.
5. Ranch Dressing – I love the buttermilk ranch dressing from Trader Joe’s and it goes perfect in this. You will need about 2 tablespoons.
6. Buffalo Wing Sauce – I love Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce, but you can use any brand of buffalo wing sauce. Just make sure to use the wing sauce and not the hot sauce.
7. Salt/Pepper – I actually did not any additional salt when I made this because I turned mine into a high protein melt and used cottage cheese as the base which is salty. I also topped it with cheddar cheese which is salty, as well as the wing sauce. If you are eating this on it’s own, start with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and taste it.

Cottage Cheese Toast

Cottage cheese toast has been extremely trendy the past year and I don’t see it going anywhere. People often combine it with avocado to make a high protein avocado toast. I used cottage cheese to make this delicious high protein buffalo chicken melt and I cannot believe how insanely delicious it was. Cottage cheese helps me hit my protein goals, so I am always looking for new ways to enjoy it.

In order to make this high protein buffalo chicken melt you will need some buffalo chicken salad, cottage cheese, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, and sourdough toast.

1. Buffalo Chicken Salad – You will need chicken breast, celery, green onion, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, ranch dressing, and buffalo wing sauce. I shared more details about that above and down below.
2. Cottage Cheese – I used 2% small curd cottage cheese. The smaller curds create a more even base.
3. Cheddar Cheese – I freshly shredded some yellow mild cheddar. Freshly shredded cheese melts much easier than pre-shredded
4. Sourdough Bread – Honestly, this is my favorite bread. Another good option would be a plain bagel. Just make sure to use a sturdier bread for this as it is a hefty sandwich.

If you love high protein meal ideas check out my recipe for high protein white chicken chili enchiladas and my recipe for high protein pasta sauce.

How to make a high protein buffalo chicken melt

• 2-3 slices sourdough bread
• 1 lb chicken breast rotisserie chicken or canned chicken
• 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp buffalo wing sauce
• 2 tbsp ranch dressing
• 1 tbsp ranch seasoning
• 2 stalks celery finely diced
• 2 green onion finely diced
• 10 oz cottage cheese 2% small curd
• 4 oz cheddar cheese freshly shredded

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIGH PROTEIN BUFFALO CHICKEN MELT

• If you are making fresh chicken, cook your chicken in salted water or chicken broth until the inside temperature is 165F. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes. Once it is fully cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes, and then dice it into small cubes.
• Mix chicken, ranch seasoning, ranch dressing, mayonnaise, celery, green onion, and wing sauce together in a medium size bowl. Set aside
• Grab your slices of sourdough bread, and add 1/4-1/3 cup of cottage cheese to each slice. Make an even layer of it.
• Then add your buffalo chicken salad and shredded cheese on top. 
• Cook each slice of toast at 375F for about 5-6 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Use a toaster oven or air fryer. If you are using an oven, it may take a little longer to start bubbling.