Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

Who doesn't love a good panini? Crisp bread, warm filling, gooey cheese, yum! I'm not a sandwich-for-dinner kind of gal (blame it on my big appetite), but this is one exception. The grilled chicken makes it filling and satisfying, while the marinade and peppers make it scrumptious. This is a great technique for marinating chicken that could be used again and again. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

A satisfying sandwich packed full of flavor.

Makes 4

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
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ cups Mayonnaise
1 jar roasted red bell peppers
8 whole Slices Provolone Or Mozzarella Cheese
8 slices Good Whole Grain Sandwich Bread
4 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

Chicken
Slightly flatten chicken with a mallet (just until uniform thickness.)

In a blender or food processor, puree sundried tomatoes, pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add half the mixture to a ziploc bag with the chicken breasts. Smush around to coat the chicken, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

After marinating, heat heavy skillet or grill to medium. Grill or cook chicken until done. Slice chicken into strips.

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

Assembly
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 pieces, arrange 1/4 of the chicken slices, 1/4 of the pepper slices, and two pieces of provolone. Top with the other four pieces of bread with the spread face down. Butter both sides of sandwich, then grill in panini maker or on a skillet over medium-low heat. (If you use a skillet, set a heavy pan or skillet on top of the sandwich as each side browns.)

Recipe adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/, a blog by Ree Drummond (AKA The Pioneer Woman) that I LOVE!