Chicken & Pesto Panini

A couple of weeks ago my daughter and I had lunch at the Corner Bakery and she ordered a Panini. The Chicken Pomodori on Sourdough. It was so good that I came home and started flipping through my cookbooks to see what I could find. Well, Mrs. Ina Garten had a good looking Panini in her barefoot contessa at home cookbook, except a little different. I decided to make this my next culinary endeavor. Ina took a vegetarian approach but I thought I would add a little chicken and it was a hit!

Ingredients:

thinly sliced chicken breasts

2 large Tomatoes

fresh mozzarella

bakery white bread

prepared pesto

Italian spice

butter

olive oil

For this recipe I used a prepared pesto, the brand was Buitoni, Pesto with Basil. It was very good.

Cut tomatoes and mozzarella into thick slices.

Generously season your chicken with the Italian seasoning on both sides.

Heat some oil and butter in a large skillet over medium to high heat.

Cook your chicken on both sides.....

Until it has a nice brown color and looks  a little crispy.

Let your chicken rest for a few minutes, then cut into thin slices.

If you have a Panini grill you can preheat it now. I don't have one but that's o.k. I have this nice little grill pan that I love. let it heat up on low to medium heat as you stack your Panini.

Butter one side of two slices of bread.

Add pesto to the side that has no butter.

Then, add your slices of fresh mozzarella.

A big slice of tomato....

some slices of juicy chicken

and one more layer of mozzarella, yummmmm!

Top off with that second slice of bread then turn up the heat a little on your pan.

gently press on your sandwich with a plate, until cheese begins to melt.

Then flip it over and press down with a spatula.

Cut in half and serve warm....They were so good!

This chicken & pesto Panini was as hot as the guy who ate it!

Buen Provecho!!