Our first topic of Kitchen Conversations is food trends! We food lovers often pay close attention to what's going on in the culinary scene across the country and globe.

Every year, new ideas burst forth from renowned chefs as well as creative homecooks, ideas that take the nation by storm.

Remember in the 1990's when sun dried tomatoes seemed to be everywhere you looked? Or more recently when every fine-dining establishment and greasy spoon had a dish smothered in balsamic reduction?

What about cake pops and cupcakeries? Both are fabulous ideas that started a revolution.

These concepts became trendy, because they were tasty and inventive, and the rest of us reaped the delicious rewards.

It's fun to watch what's coming down the culinary pipeline so you can experiment with food trends at home.

Articles I've read recently say to expect these upcoming food trends in 2013:

• Comfort food gone global
• Playing with ancient grains
• Creative popcorn snacks
• Duck egg dishes
• Blondies instead of brownies
• Cauliflower, the veggie for cool kids
• Ramen noodles (not the dried packets)

Hey, I didn't come up with this stuff, but I'm happy to experiment with them. I've already noticed several of these food trends taking form, and my favorite by far is the idea of comfort food gone global.

After all, I love comfort food, and I love global cuisine, so why not put them together?

Today's dish is my take on the new food trend, comfort food gone global. These zippy Butter Chicken Sliders provide the comfort of mini burgers with exotic flavors of India.

Each little slider is layered with a chicken cutlet bathed in a rich, buttery Indian curry made with creamy Land O Lakes® Butter, then topped with a pickled mango slaw and cilantro.

They are magic...I'm pretty proud of these bold little beauties.

Butter Chicken Sliders with Pickled Mango Slaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 24 sliders

Ingredients:

For the Slaw

• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 firm ripe mango, peeled and cut julienne
• 1 cup jicama, julienne
• 1/2 cup radicchio, julienne

For the Butter Chicken

• 2 half sticks Land O Lakes® Salted Butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbs. garam masala*
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 28-ounces can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (6 breasts)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 24 small rolls, halved

*Substitute 1 1/2 tablespoon garam masala: 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

Mix the hot water, sugar and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the julienned mango and stir. Set aside.

For the butter chicken, place a large saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the Land O Lakes® Butter, onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add the spices, salt, crushed tomatoes and paste to the pot. Cover and turn the heat on low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Cut each chicken breast into 4 pieces, each about the size of the rolls. Then gently lay the cutlets in the butter chicken curry, layering the cutlets to make sure they are all flat and covered with sauce. Cover the pot again and simmer another 7 to 9 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, drain the mango, then add the jicama and radicchio. Toss and set aside.

To assemble: Open the rolls and place one chicken cutlet on each roll with a generous spoonful of sauce. Top with the pickled mango slaw and several cilantro leaves.

Place the bun top above and enjoy!

Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Land O'Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes® Butter for their Kitchen Conversation blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O'Lakes.