Stop by any corner café and you’re bound to find a panini served on the lunch menu. Panini in Italian refers to a sandwich. But what exactly separates a panini from a regular sandwich? Well, that would be the grilling. The grilled bread of a panini is its trademark and achieved by giving a quick brush of olive oil or melted butter to get that golden brown crunch.
A crispy panini with gooey, melted cheese makes a stellar lunch any day. Now, you can quickly and easily make it right at home!
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast cutlets
2 slices muenster cheese
2 slices white bread
1/4 cup spinach, washed and pat dry
2 slices plum tomato, seeds removed
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1) Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Grill chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side until the cutlet is about 90% cooked with grill marks on each side. Remove from grill and set aside.
3) Drizzle both sides of the bread with olive oil. Layer muenster cheese, chicken, tomato, spinach, and another slice of cheese between the slices.
4) Prepare panini grill on high-heat settings. Place assembled sandwich in the panini press and let it toast until golden brown (approx. 2-3 minutes).
5) Cut diagonally with a serrated knife. Serve immediately.
Tips:
Be careful to not overcook the chicken when you first grill it; otherwise, you will get a dry, tough chicken cutlet. For moist chicken, make it just slightly underdone- because, when you put the panini in the press, the chicken will continue cooking.
i had lobster panini before..
i lo this sandwich but i can’t access this kind of bread in stores
You could make panini with any type of bread: whole wheat for a healthy option, ciabatta or baguette for something more authentic. This time I just used white bread, because that’s what I happened to have in the freezer 🙂
I would love to have this for tomorrow’s lunch!
You should go for it 🙂
It looks great, though I prefer a thicker slice of panini to soak up the juices! The photos are very appetizing 🙂
I love thin slices of bread for panini so that it gets extra crunchy after the grilling 🙂 – Veronica
I love the ingredient combo of this panini! I’ve done something similar, and added basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar between the fillers (so it wouldn’t get the bread soggy.) I’m pretty sure paninis are magic. Otherwise how could they transport us to such levels of happiness? 😀
Paninis are indeed magical! They’re quick to make, yet so satisfying to eat. It’s great how you can use different combinations of ingredients and flavors; and it still tastes great. -Veronica