Chicken Salad Panini WIth Pesto & Fontina Cheese


I haven’t posted many sandwich or panini recipes on my blog, because most of the time I do not think you need a recipe to create a delicious Italian sandwich as long as you use the best quality ingredients. I decided to share this recipe however because it is so easy to pull together, and when I served it to the family recently it got rave reviews.

This is kind of a variation of a traditional chicken salad sandwich, but the addition of pesto completely changes the favor. You can make your own homemade pesto, or buy a good quality store bought brand. I love the pesto sold at Costco and always have a jar in my fridge to use for quick pasta dishes or to slather on grilled salmon or chicken.

You can use any cooked chicken in this recipe which makes it great to use up leftovers, or you can simply buy a rotisserie chicken instead. The addition of shredded Fontina cheese helps to hold everything together when you put it in the panini press, and you end up with a delicious cross between a chicken salad sandwich and a grilled cheese.

If you do not have a panini press, you can cook the panini in a frying pan on top of the stove with a weight on top of it. Do not skip this step though as the crispy bread works so well with the creamy chicken salad and melted cheese.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Chicken Salad Panini WIth Pesto & Fontina Cheese

Chicken Salad Panini WIth Pesto & Fontina Cheese

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Shredded or Chopped Cooked Chicken (See Notes Above)
  • 3/4 Cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons Prepared Pesto
  • 1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Celery
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Asiago or Fontina Cheese
  • 8 Slices Crusty Italian Bread
  • Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the chicken, mayonnaise, pesto, celery, salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat panini press of stove top griddle pan.
  3. Divide the chicken mixture onto 4 slices of bread, then top with the cheese.
  4. Cover the panini with the other slices of bread, then lightly brush both sides with olive oil.
  5. Place the panini on the griddle, close and cook until the read is brown and the cheese melted, about 7 minutes.
  6. Cut the panini in half and serve immediately.

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