Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken panini made of? ›

Layer with chicken, bacon, mozzarella cheese, onion and tomato. Spread remaining mayonnaise mixture over remaining bread slices; place over top. Brush outsides of sandwiches with butter. Cook in a panini maker or on an indoor grill until bread is browned and cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes.

Use Half-Inch Thick Bread To Make A Panini

These include ciabatta, focaccia, rye, French, and sourdough. But no matter which bread you use, your slices should always be about a ½-inch thick. If you use slices that are thicker than that, you'll taste way too much bread when you bite into your panini.

We've been using mayo in some . . . unconventional ways lately (chocolate cake, anyone?). But when it comes to panini, mayo is simply better than softened butter. For one, there's no putzing around while the butter softens.

A chicken panini is a healthy, high-calorie option for lunch. If you're cooking at home for family and/or friends without CF, use the substitution table below to create a lower-calorie panini.

Pesto, or pesto alla genovese, is a basil-based sauce that originated in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, Italy. Traditional pesto is made with basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan (or another type of hard Italian cheese, such as Pecorino).

As long as it forms part of a diverse diet with plenty of vegetables, fibre, and moderate levels of protein and dairy, there's absolutely no need to worry about pesto being bad for you. It's packed full of nutrients and healthy fats, which are needed in a well-balanced diet.

That's largely down to the fact that most pesto sauces contain generous amounts of oil, nuts, and cheese. All three of these are high in fat and calories, so eating too much pesto, too regularly, and not getting enough exercise can ultimately be fattening.

One of the hallmarks of a great panini is the signature crispy crunch of the bread when you bite in. In order to make sure that you get the crunch you crave, brush olive oil or butter on the outside before toasting. That will help to brown and harden the bread for a delicious bite.

In Italy, a Panino is a grilled sandwich that is made from any bread other than standard sliced bread. One of the most popular bread types used for a Panino is Ciabatta. Outside of Italy, toasted Ciabatta sandwiches are known as Panini (the plural of Panino).

The big difference with toasties or toasted sandwiches is the type of bread that is used for a panini, which isn't a sliced, soggy sandwich slice, but real italian bread like ciabatta (uncut). Panini's have made a world-wide breakthrough and for a good reason.

Do you butter bread before putting it in a panini press? ›

Place the cheese between the slices of bread. Coat the outside of the bread with either the butter or mayonnaise. Carefully place the sandwich in the panini maker and press the lid down, gently enough so that it doesn't completely smoosh the sandwich but enough that both sides are touching the heated grates.

Spread olive oil on the inside of your bread.

Use a brush or butter knife to distribute a small around of olive oil over the inside surface of your bread. You want to achieve a thin coating here, so make sure not to glob a lot of olive oil onto the bread. If you use too much oil, your bread will get soggy!

Season your panini grill: Seasoning is essential to keep the unit from rusting and food from sticking. Once you've completely cleaned and dried your panini grill after the first use, spread a light layer of cooking oil on the cast-iron plates and turn the heat to the highest setting.