Chicken Panini With Pesto And Peppers Food

CHICKEN PESTO PANINI

Steps:

• Combine oregano and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. When cool enough to handle, slice each cutlet in half crosswise.
• Spread pesto evenly over cut sides of sandwich thins. Top the bottom halves evenly with arugula, chicken, roasted red pepper and mozzarella; cover with top halves. Press down lightly.
• Lightly coat an unheated panini griddle, covered indoor electric grill or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Lightly coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray. Heat the griddle or grill according to the manufacturer's directions. (If using a skillet, heat over medium heat.) Place the sandwiches on the griddle or grill or in the skillet, working in batches if necessary. If using a griddle or grill, close the lid and grill until the bread is toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. (If using a skillet, place a heavy saucepan or skillet on top of the sandwiches. Cook until the bottoms are toasted, about 2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches; top again with the saucepan or skillet. Cook until the other side is toasted, about 2 more minutes.)

CHICKEN PESTO PANINIS

Steps:

• Preheat a panini grill.
• Slice each quarter of focaccia bread in half horizontally. Spread each half with pesto. Layer bottom halves with equal amounts chicken, bell pepper, onion, and cheese. Top with remaining focaccia halves, forming 4 sandwiches.
• Grill paninis 5 minutes in the preheated grill, or until focaccia bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

GRILLED CHICKEN PESTO PANINI

Steps:

• Pound the chicken fillets until thin between two pieces of waxed paper, then marinate in oil, garlic, pepper and Italian seasoning for about 1-1/2 hours.
• Heat a grill pan or sauté pan (the breasts can also be grilled on the BBQ).
• Season the breasts with salt and pepper.
• Cook the chicken on medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through.
• Remove from pan and place on a plate or board.
• Top each fillet with some of the roasted peppers and a slice of cheese.
• Spread BOTH sides of the bread with pesto sauce.
• Place chicken inside the bread and form to a sandwich.
• Brush both sides of the outside of bread with olive oil.
• Heat a grill pan or a 10-inch skillet on medium high heat. Place the panini in the pan (only 2 at a time).
• Weigh the panini down with another heavy skillet and then top with a heavy can (a very large can of tomato juice works great for this!) cook for about 3 minutes, or until bread is toasted.
• Turn the panini, and weigh it down again with a heavy skillet and a can on top, and toast for another 3 minutes.
• Remove from pan and cut in half.

CHICKEN, ROASTED PEPPER, AND PESTO SANDWICH

Steps:

• Spread 1 tablespoon Basil Pesto on 1 side of each slice of bread. Top 4 slices of bread with Marinated Chicken Breast. Top the chicken with the roasted peppers. Place the remaining bread slices, pesto-side down, on top of the peppers.
• Combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.
• Put the vinegar, herbs, mustard, powder if using and oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. Open the bag and drop in the chicken breasts. Close and shake the bag to coat evenly. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
• Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, under cold, running water, or in the microwave at 30 percent power for 1 minute at a time.
• Heat a grill or grill pan. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. You can also bake the thawed chicken in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

CHICKEN AND ROASTED PEPPER PANINI

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of cutlets until lightly browned and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with additional 1 Tablespoon oil and remaining cutlets.
• Pulse red peppers, olives, basil, garlic and 1 Tablespoon oil in food processor until coarsely chopped. Spread pepper mixture evenly over both sides of rolls. Layer half of cheese and 2 chicken cutlets over each roll bottom. Top with remaining cheese and roll tops.
• Wipe out skillet. Heat remaining oil over medium-low heat until just shimmering. Arrange panini in skillet and top with large Dutch oven. Cook until bottoms of sandwiches are crisp and cheese is beginning to melt, about 3 minutes. Remove Dutch oven, flip sandwiches, replace Dutch oven and continue to cook until crisp on second side and heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve.

CHICKEN MOZZARELLA PANINI WITH RED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Flatten chicken breasts and season them with Natures Seasoning and Olive oil. Let marinate while doing the next steps.
• Cut the red peppers into 5 wedges per pepper so they can lay flat on grill or you can substitute sliced sun dried tomatoes right out of the jar instead of peppers. These are ready to put right on the sandwich without grilling if you prefer.
• Slice the red onion into rings.
• Coat the onions and peppers with olive oil.
• Heat up your grill for panini on high. I use the Cuisinart Griddler I just got and it is excellent because it adjusts evenly to the thickness of whatever you are cooking.
• Season chicken with Morton Natures Seasoning and oregano. Grill the chicken breasts first- 2 at a time with top of grill down which will leave perfect grill lines. Take off when done and put on plate.
• Grill red peppers (flat) and next grill the red onion rings. Place on plate.
• Clean off grill. I add a little olive oil or Pam to grill with a piece of paper towel before grilling sandwiches.
• Spread a good amount of the Pesto on the top half of each sandwich.
• Layer the panini. Chicken breast, Red pepper or sun dried tomatoes, Red onion slices, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese - Make sure everything fits perfectly within the size of the bread you are using.
• Top each panini with the top half you have already spread the Pesto on.
• Carefully place the sandwiches on grill (I can fit 2 at a time) and smoosh down if needed. Bread will have lines, cheese will be melted, and the sandwich will be nice and hot and perfect when ready!
• There are other variations to this. My son is not crazy about Pesto -- so he just used Chicken, Mozzarella cheese and Paul Newman's jarred Marinara sauce and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top of the sauce on his instead and Loved It!
• A Chicken Parmesan Panini!
• Hope you like it!