Pesto Chicken Panini

I have been known to get excited about a nicely-grilled panini. So when I came across this lovely ciabatta roll this week, thought it was a good time to pull out the grill pan and make it happen.

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While I tend to just throw in whatever meat, cheese, and fresh veggies (or sometimes fruits) I have on hand, I must say that I love-love-love making paninis with pesto!

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Moist chicken breasts are sandwiched between thick-cut ciabatta bread with herby pesto, cheesy mozzarella, and tangy roasted red bell peppers, then pressed until crispy, and crunchy.

It looked pretty great on the outside, but when I really got to know it – when I sunk my teeth straight into the middle of that crispy, gooey Pesto, Chicken, & Mozzarella Panini – it was game over.

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I think I found out what my lunch is going to be for today…

Enjoy!

Pesto Chicken Panini

Ingredients:

1 ciabatta roll, individual-sized
1 chicken breast, grilled
1 slice fresh mozzarella
1-2 Tbsp. your favorite pesto sauce
Roasted red peppers

Directions:

  1. Preheat panini grill
  2. Slice ciabatta in half horizontally, and fill with layered chicken, mozzarella, pesto and red peppers.
  3. Fold together and grill for 5 minutes, or until bread is lightly golden and cheese is melted. Slice horizontally and serve.