Basil Chicken Melt (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For the Panini
01 -
8 skinny chicken breast cuts
02 -
1 average sized round Italian panella loaf, cut into slices (or any circular bread)
03 -
8 pieces of soft mozzarella cheese
04 -
2 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into rounds
05 -
Ready-made pesto
06 -
Non-stick spray
→ For the Pesto
07 -
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
08 -
¼ cup grated pecorino romano
09 -
¼ cup toasted pine nuts (skip if you want)
10 -
3 garlic cloves
11 -
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
12 -
½ teaspoon kosher salt
13 -
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
# Instructions:
01 -
Lightly coat your grill pan with cooking spray and cook the chicken until done, about 2-3 minutes each side (timing depends on how thick they are). Take them off and let them cool a bit.
02 -
Throw basil, pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until everything's mixed and the basil turns into a smooth paste. You'll end up with roughly ⅓ cup.
03 -
Smear pesto on both bread slices. Stack chicken, tomato rounds, and mozzarella on bottom half, then cap with the other bread piece. Do this for all your sandwiches.
04 -
Give both sides of each sandwich a quick spray. Pop it in your panini maker or grill pan, shut the lid, and push down to get those nice grill lines. Cook until the bread turns golden and cheese gets all melty.
# Notes:
01 -
You can fix the pesto a day or two earlier and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
02 -
Don't worry if you haven't got a panini press. A normal frying pan works fine - just put a heavy pot on top to flatten the sandwich.