Chicken, Peppers and Cheese Panini Sandwich

EDITED RECIPE – I forgot to add the tomato slices

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I can’t believe how fast the time is going!  Next week is Christmas already.  Are you done Christmas shopping?  I like to think I am, but I need to check my list to make sure I didn’t forget anyone.

This was the first year I actually didn’t use my credit cards, no cross that, after my last cc bill, I realized I can no longer use them, I WAY over spent, so the last remaining gifts, which was most, I paid cash.  Talk about hard.  However, you tend to be more aware of your spending when your not using a credit card.  This Christmas was hard, normally I just buy whatever, but not this year, I had to think good and hard on my gifts, but I think I did ok!  For a bunch of my friends, I told them I would bake them goodies instead of gifts and they were happy with that, since most of them don’t cook, so this weekend is going to be a baking weekend.  So after I am done blogging, I am going to start prepping, making peanut butter, cookie dough and refrigerating it till Sunday for quick baking and I’m making granola!  I just love my baking weekends and tonight is a Christmas party, so no licking the bowl for me!!  Must be good!!!

Ok, first I have to tell you, a good portion of you bloggers are just HORRIBLE!   I saw this on several blog sites, and I thought no, no, no!  Then I saw it again, and said yes, yes, yes!  You know what I’m talking about?  You know who you are!  For those who don’t know, I am talking about this!!!

I saw this at Trader Joe’s about a month ago, picked it up, put it back and I did that a ton of times, then today, I picked it up and put it in my cart.  I rushed home to try it and OMG!  It is so dam good!  Yes I can say dam, it’s worth it.  It tastes like a sugar cookie, it’s so good.  I wish I never bought it.   Trader Joe’s better keep this in stock year round!  I plan on making my Classic Peanut Butter Cookies with this, or maybe a sugar cookie with it?  I don’t know yet, but I’m making some kind of cookie with it, thats of course if I don’t eat the whole jar!  I already made a pretty decent dent in it, and it’s only a few hours old.  If you go to TJ’s be warned, if you buy this, you will love it!!!

Now for my quick meal of the day.  This is so simple, probably not worth posting, since everyone knows how to make a sandwich, but I just have to tell you anyway, it was just that good.  One thing you may not know about me, is that I LOVE sandwiches, but then again you probably do know that since I love bread!  This sandwich was made with leftover garlic chicken from last night.

I used a Panini press to make it, but if you don’t have one you could do the following:  Put the sandwich in a frying pan and top with another frying pan to press it down, or this old trick I learned from Martha Stewart.  Take a brick cover it in aluminum foil and place on sandwich.  I do this when I cook a sandwich on the grill.  It works great!

Another sandwich trick is to cut a huge chunk of bread, pop it on the scale to see what weight you have and rip out the center until you get 3 or 4 oz.  When I used the Ciabatta Bread, it was 5 ounces, so I brought it down to 4 (two servings at 130 calories each) just by taking some of the bread out.  The best part of the sandwich is the bread so you want a large sandwich that you can fill sky high with goodies on the inside!  Taking out the inner bread makes for more room and more peppers for me!!

Chicken, Peppers and Cheese Panini Sandwich

Ingredients:

4oz.  Ciabatta Bread

1.5 oz Chicken – Cooked

1 Roasted Red Pepper – Jarred, large piece, rinsed and pat dried

1/2 oz Lite Mozzarella Cheese – shredded or in thin pieces (Provolone would be good to)

2 slices Tomato

1/3 Cup fresh spinach leaves

1 Tbsp.  Balsamic Dressing – I used Trader Joe’s Fat Free Balsamic

Directions:

Place in this order, Bottom piece of bread, chicken, peppers, cheese, tomato slices and spinach.  Place your dressing on the inside top piece of bread that way the bread soaks up the dressing and it won’t run off your sandwich.

Place in a Panini maker and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Makes 1 large sandwich!

Calories:  344,  Fat: 3, Cholesterol:  29,  Sodium: 692 (Eck),  Carbs:  56,  Fiber:  3,    Protein:   21

I love sandwiches because you can put whatever you like on it.  It’s quick, filling and so good!  I’m thinking of sandwiches now!  Now I’m thinking of Joey Tribbiani with his love for sandwiches.

Quote from Friends:

Chandler: [Sniffs] This sandwich does smell good…
Joey: Did I tell you to smell my sandwich?!
Chandler: I can`t smell your sandwich??
Joey: NO! Half of the taste is in the smell!! You sucking up all the taste units!
Chandler: OK, I`ll give them back [Exhales]

Lol!

QUESTION:  Do you like sandwiches?  If so what’s your favorite??

Have a wonderful day!  Now time to go make a sandwich!!  🙂