Spiced Chicken and Mozzarella Panino
Nearly six months ago, a wonderful appliance was added to our kitchen, the panini maker. The panino is an Italian sandwich which is commonly filled with meat, cheese, or other food, and typically served hot. Since the panini maker has been in our house, we attempt to enjoy paninis at least once a week, basically because they are so easy to make and take a very short time to cook. Some of our favorites are ham and swiss cheese, turkey and gouda cheese, ham, egg, and cheese, and now the spiced chicken and fresh mozzarella.
I started by pounding by butterflying two chicken breasts and pounding them slightly . I then seasoned them well with fresh cracked pepper, sea salt, basil, and olive oil. Once the breasts are done marinating, I threw them on the grill. While the chicken was nearing completion, I placed a slab of fresh mozzarella cheese onto each breast and let it warm through for a few minutes, then removed them from the grill.
I plugged in the panini maker and waited for the warming process, which only takes 4-5 minutes. During this time, I took out some rustic Italian bread (the bread is extremely important) from the freezer. I use a brand called Turano which appears to be local to the Midwest. Laying down a medium sized piece of bread on the maker, I then added a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese to that, then the chicken breast, then another piece of bread. Slowly close the panini maker and apply some pressure. I hold it down for a minute or so, then began to make a fresh tomato, cucumber, and mozzarella salad with olive oil. Once the sandwich had some nice grill marks, I took it off and plated.
I hope you enjoy this sandwich as must as we did!