Scorching Hen Caesar Pesto Panini is a mouthwatering strategy to elevate your on a regular basis grilled cheese sandwich. Sliced focaccia is slathered with pesto then filled with deli hen, gooey mozzarella cheese, and a dressed caesar salad then pressed till crispy. This can be a memorable meal you’ll crave over and over.
Hello expensive, I’m right here to jazz up lunch time. Put away your PB&J, and attain for a sizzling and crispy Hen Caesar Pesto Panini as an alternative!
I’m not being dramatic after I say this flavor-packed sandwich blows each grilled cheese I’ve ever had out of the water. Contemporary pesto is slathered onto thick slices of focaccia that’s filled with deli hen and gooey mozzarella cheese then grilled in a panini press till scorching. A contemporary Cesar Salad is stuffed inside earlier than devouring.
Sizzling, chilly, crispy, tacky – this sandwich checks all of the packing containers. Bonus factors for it being make-ahead and a cinch to assemble, too!
Panini vs Grilled Cheese
To begin with, what IS a panini? A panini is actually a grilled cheese sandwich made with sliced Italian bread like ciabatta or focaccia. It’s filled with meat, cheese, and generally greens (Kraft singles, eat your coronary heart out!) then heated in a panini press.
The bottom of our Hen Caesar Pesto Panini is a loaf of my Gluten Free Focaccia which is sliced in half widthwise to create two thick slices of bread for the sandwich.
No time nor need to bake a loaf of bread? Completely get it – simply use your favourite sliced bread as an alternative.
Substances Wanted
- Focaccia: My Gluten Free Focaccia will be made a number of days forward of time, and makes sufficient for 2-4 sandwiches. Be at liberty to slice up your favourite store-bought bread, or use store-bought sliced bread as an alternative.
- Pesto: I’m a home made pesto stan, however if you wish to go the store-bought route, I’m sharing my favourite model under.
- Sliced mozzarella cheese: will be discovered with all the opposite sliced cheeses on the grocery retailer lately.
- Deli hen: I like Di Lusso model, which I get on the deli meat counter, and is gluten free.
- Romaine lettuce: is the bottom of the Caesar salad that’s stuffed inside the new panini.
- Ready Caesar dressing: I like Ken’s Creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s actually one of the best bottled Caesar round.
- Pink onion: optionally available, however I like the colour, crunch, and zip it brings to the panini.
Collect your elements then get able to dive into this mouthwatering meal!
Learn how to Make Home made Focaccia
Learn how to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Make home made focaccia.
Observe my recipe for home made Gluten Free Focaccia a day or two forward of whenever you need to make the panini. All you want are a handful of on a regular basis elements.
Once more, in the event you’d somewhat use sliced bread to make these panini, that’s completely nice.
Step 2: Construct the panini.
Slice the cooled focaccia in half horizontally to create two giant “slices” of bread – it will make sufficient for 2-4 sandwiches, FYI. Should you’re utilizing sliced bread, lay 2 slices per sandwich out on a chopping board.
Recipe Tip
If utilizing sliced bread, butter the outsides of the bread so that they crisp within the panini maker/skillet, then place butter-side-down on the chopping board.
Subsequent layer on 1-2 skinny slices of mozzarella cheese, adopted by thinly sliced deli hen. Prime with one other 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese, then add the highest half of the bread, pesto-side-down.
I LOVE my home made vegan pesto recipe but when you have to go store-bought, I extremely suggest Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto, which is what I based mostly my recipe on. I truly want the flavour of their vegan pesto in comparison with their common one!
If utilizing focaccia bread, slice the loaf into 2-4 sandwiches. Since focaccia may be very wealthy on account of it being made with additional virgin olive oil, I actually assume a 1/3 or 1/4 loaf sandwich actually satisfies!
Step 3: Grill the panini.
Place the panini in an electrical panini press preheated on medium-high warmth, or into a big skillet preheated over medium warmth.
Press till the cheese has melted and the highest and backside of the bread is crispy. If utilizing a skillet, flip the sandwich as soon as the underside piece of bread is crispy.
Step 4: Add the caesar salad.
Place the panini onto plates then add chopped romaine lettuce right into a bowl, add your required quantity of ready Caesar dressing, then toss with tongs to mix.
Open up the panini then add the dressed Caesar salad plus sliced crimson onion for colour and crunch. Place the highest again on then chow down!
Make Forward to Grill Contemporary Later
What I like about making these Hen Caesar Pesto Panini is that, since an entire loaf of focaccia makes 2-4 sandwiches, I can wrap up the additional ones to press within the panini maker, or toast in a skillet later within the week.
Recipe Tip
If making the panini in a skillet after they’ve been wrapped and refrigerated, place a lid on high of the skillet whereas they’re cooking, which can make sure the cheese and hen melts and heats in time with the bread crisping up.
Being gluten free, it’s at all times a deal with to get pleasure from one thing that’s usually served jam-packed with gluten – at eating places, anyway – made secure and scrumptious at residence. It’s an enormous a part of why these style so particular and decadent to me. I hope you get an opportunity to strive the hen pesto panini very quickly – get pleasure from each final drop!
Extra Tasty Lunch Concepts
- 1 loaf Gluten Free Focaccia, see notes
- 1 batch Pesto, see notes
- 4-8 skinny slices mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 lb thinly-sliced deli hen
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- ready Caesar Salad Dressing, Ken’s Creamy Caesar advisable
- 1/2 small crimson onion, thinly sliced, optionally available
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Preheat an electrical panini press on medium-high warmth, or a big nonstick skillet over medium warmth.
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Slice the Gluten Free Focaccia in half widthwise to create a high and backside then place minimize aspect up on a chopping board. If utilizing sliced bread, lay 2 bread slices per sandwich out on a chopping board.
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Unfold pesto on all of the items of focaccia/bread then place 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese on the underside of every sandwich (might solely want 1 slice relying on how giant the bread slice is that if utilizing sliced bread). Layer in your desired quantity of deli hen then place 1-2 extra slices of mozzarella cheese on high.
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Place the highest of the focaccia/bread pesto-side down on high of the sandwich. If utilizing focaccia bread, slice into 2 – 4 thick sandwiches. Place the sandwiches contained in the pre-heated panini press or into the underside of the skillet, if utilizing.
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Grill till the panini is golden brown and the cheese has melted (if utilizing a skillet, flip the sandwich when the underside aspect is golden brown), then switch to plates.
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To a medium-size mixing bowl, add the romaine lettuce and your required quantity of Caesar dressing then toss with tongs to coat. Take away the highest slice of focaccia/bread from the paninis then high with the dressed Caesar salad. Add crimson onion slices if desired then change the bread on high and serve instantly.
- Be at liberty to substitute your favourite store-bought bread for the home made focaccia bread. If utilizing store-bought bread, unfold softened butter on the outsides of the bread to make sure they crisp and brown within the panini maker or pan.
- Substitute your favourite store-bought pesto for the home made pesto. I extremely suggest Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto (I want the flavour of their vegan pesto over their common pesto).
- That is actually a “no recipe” sort of recipe – that mentioned, use as a lot hen, cheese, salad, and so on. as you personally want!
Pictures by Ashley McLaughlin