Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

This sandwich was good!  The sundried tomato pesto is really quite tasty.  I made these sandwiches on Friday night and Todd, Stella and I were the only ones home for dinner.  I assumed Stella would want something more boring and so I gave her leftover noodles, I was wrong.  First she wanted a bite of mine and then she told me that she wanted her own.  She ate every bite!  I love it when my little ones surprise me like that!

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 whole sundried tomatoes, packed in oil

3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 whole red bell peppers

8 slices Mozzarella cheese

8 slices sandwich bread

Butter, softened

In a blender or a food processor, puree sundried tomatoes, pesto, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.  Add half the mixture to a Ziploc bag with the chicken breasts, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  After marinating, heat grill and cook chicken until done.  Slice chicken into thin strips.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

If you have a gas cooktop, blacken red peppers directly over the flame.  (If you do not have a gas cooktop, blacken them directly under the broiler.)  Completely blacken/char on all sides, then immediately seal in a Ziploc bag.  Allow peppers to sit, sealed, in the bag for at least 20 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, remove from bag and use fingers to slip off the blackened skin.  Lop off the top, cut in half, then seed and slice into strips.  Set aside.

To make the Panini, spread generous amounts of the sundried tomato pesto spread on one side of all the pieces of bread.  On four of the piece, arrange chicken slices, red pepper slices, and 2 slices mozzarella cheese.  Top with the other four pieces of bread with the spread face down.  Butter both sides of sandwich, and then grill in Panini maker.  Slice sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Recipe from Pioneer Women Cooks