A chicken panini sandwich has become a standard lunch menu item and favored by both children and adults. This version uses pre-grilled chicken, prepared pesto, cheese, and precooked bacon, all of which are layered in between bread and grilled until crispy.
You can use rotisserie chicken or even deli chicken breast instead of grilled if you like. To switch things up, try different cheeses like mozzarella or goat cheese, or use kale pesto in place of the basil in this panini. To serve, you can simply toss some chips on the plate, or accompany this hot sandwich with a salad of mixed greens, pasta salad, or french fries.
"This sandwich made for a delicious lunch and was a good way to use leftover cooked chicken. You honestly can’t go wrong with the combination of ingredients. I opted to grill the sandwich instead of using a panini maker and this method worked perfectly." —Young Sun Huh
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, more if desired
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4 slices bread
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1 tablespoon homemade or store-bought pesto, more for serving, if desired
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2 slices cooked bacon
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1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken, or 2 grilled chicken breasts
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2 slices provolone cheese
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients. Heat a grill or panini maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
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Spread the butter on one side of each piece of bread.
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Flip 2 pieces of the bread over and spread 1/2 tablespoon pesto onto each.
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Top the pesto with the bacon, chicken, and then cheese.
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Top with the remaining two bread slices, buttered sides up.
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Place in the panini maker and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. If using a grill, cook the panini sandwiches until golden on one side, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Then flip and grill the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes.
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Cut the sandwiches in half. Serve immediately with extra pesto, if desired.
Tips
- Precooked bacon is available in the grocery store, but if you'd like to cook your own, you can fry, bake, or microwave the slices until crispy, and then drain on paper towels.
- Almost any type of bread can be used in this recipe, but make sure the slices are thick enough to handle the grill or panini maker. Heftier breads like baguette and ciabatta are great choices.
- If you're so inclined, you can make homemade pesto and freeze the rest for later use.
Recipe Variations
- Add a few slices of tomato to the sandwich, or some pieces of sundried tomato.
- Eliminate the bacon and swap out the provolone for thick slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Nestle in some fresh spinach to add a bit of nutrition to the panini.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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642 | Calories |
36g | Fat |
32g | Carbs |
47g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 2 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 642 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 36g | 46% |
Saturated Fat 14g | 72% |
Cholesterol 185mg | 62% |
Sodium 1278mg | 56% |
Total Carbohydrate 32g | 12% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
Total Sugars 4g | |
Protein 47g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 348mg | 27% |
Iron 3mg | 19% |
Potassium 541mg | 12% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |