Chicken, Pesto, and Olive Panini

Vicki in CT's Note:

Excellent blend of flavors. You don't need a panini press or Foreman Grill to make these delicious sandwiches.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 2

Yield: 2.0 sandwic ...

• 2 pieces flat bread (I use Toufayan brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pesto sauce (I used Pesto or can use store bought pesto)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olive, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 10 leaves baby spinach
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1/2 cooked chicken breast, sliced (I used leftover grilled chicken)
• salt

Directions:

1. On bottom of both bread pieces brush on olive oil.
2. Spread one tablespoon of pesto (or more if you like) on each piece of bread on the top side. So the bottom will have olive oil and the top will have pesto.
3. On the the pesto side on ONE HALF of bread place spinach leaves. Repeat with other bread.
4. On top of spinach place 1/4 of mozzarella. Repeat with other bread.
5. Layer on chicken, olives, tomatoes and 1/4 of mozzarella. Repeat on other bread to make two complete sandwiches. Fold in half with the olive oil side on the outside.
6. Grill on panini press or Foreman Grill.
7. If you don't have these (as I don't) heat grill pan to medium heat. Wash two bricks and cover with foil. Place sandwiches side by side on grill pan. Place foil covered bricks on top. Cook on medium for 4-6 minutes. Turn over and replace bricks. Cook an additional 4-6 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasted brown.

Reviews

[Benthe (Danish)]

Made for Family Picks ZWT4 – Absolutely wonderful. Used black olives and sundried tomatoes like Wildflour, Great flavour. Added extra spinach, and red onions too. Thanks for sharing, and as usual great recipes from your kitchen, Vicki.

[Brooke the Cook in WI]

This is a great summer-time Italian style lunch. I used fresh sliced bocconcini and sliced roma tomatoes in my sandwich with basil pesto - the pesto is fantastic and really compliments the mellow cheese and the olives add a little tang. I don't have a panini press and the only bricks I have are in the garage (yuck)... so I heated a medium skillet, then smashed the sandwich with a small sized skillet to smush my sandwich, flipped and repeated, worked great I think! Made for ZWT4.

[Wildflour]

FANTASTIC!!!!! I used black olives, and sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh ones. And I added a little mixed salad greens along with a few baby spinach leaves. *I also used my cast iron grill pan. GREAT sandwich!!! LOVED it!! Made for the ZWT4