Pesto Chicken & Mozzarella Panini

Photo: Unknown · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source

Golden, pressed sourdough with juicy sliced chicken, basil pesto, gooey mozzarella, tomato and spinach. Crisp outside, melty inside.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• ⅓ cup basil pesto
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 1 large Roma tomato, thinly sliced
• a big handful of baby spinach

From your pantry: 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, salt, pepper.

Instructions

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally into thin cutlets and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high and cook the cutlets until golden and 165°F inside, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Rest 5 minutes, then slice thin.
3. Spread pesto on one side of each bread slice. On 4 slices, layer mozzarella, spinach, chicken, tomato and a little more mozzarella, then close with the remaining slices, pesto side in.
4. Butter the outsides of the sandwiches. Cook in a panini press, or in a skillet over medium-low with a heavy pan on top, until deep golden and the cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
5. Rest 1 minute, then slice in half and serve.

Tip: Keep the heat at medium-low so the cheese melts before the bread gets too dark.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

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