This delicious Grilled Chicken Panini with Zucchini, Tomato, and Mozzarella highlights end-of-summer vegetables on sour dough bread.
Chicken Panini with Zucchini, Tomato Mozzarella
There’s something about a hot sandwich that just feels more satisfying sometimes especially when you add protein like I did in this Grilled Chicken Panini. With the grilled chicken, this sandwich has 26 grams of protein! I usually use sour dough bread because it contains higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than many other breads. I served this for dinner with some tomato soup, which was so delicious. Some other panini recipes you might want to try are this Eggplant Panini with Pesto, Asparagus Prosciutto Panini with Garlic Mayo, and Chicken Arugula Provolone Panini with Chipotle.
What makes a sandwich a panini?
A panini is a pressed sandwich served hot with melted cheese. You don’t need a panini press to make this, simply press it down with a heavy skillet.
What kind of bread is used for paninis?
I used sourdough for this panini, but ciabatta or focaccia are also good choices.
Grilled Chicken Panini Ingredients
This sandwich has six ingredients:
- Grilled chicken cutlets
- Sourdough bread
- Grilled zucchini
- Fresh tomato slices
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh chopped basil
How do you make a panini without a press?
Here’s how to make a panini if you don’t have a panini press.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and prep your sandwiches in the skillet, topping them off with a slice of bread.
- Press them down with a heavy pot or skillet for four to five minutes until the bottom piece of bread is golden.
- Flip the sandwiches over with a spatula and cook them for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
What to Serve with Chicken Paninis
This easy chicken panini would be delicious with your favorite soup, like Cream of Zucchini Soup, French Onion Soup, or Roasted Red Pepper Soup. You could also do a salad like this simple side salad with red onions or Peach Arugula Salad.
Variations:
- Vegetarian Panini: Skip the chicken if you want a meat-free sandwich. You could add extra veggies, like yellow squash, eggplant, or roasted peppers.
- Sauce: If you’d like to use a sauce, try pesto, garlic mayo, or Dijon mustard.
- Panini Bread: Swap sourdough for ciabatta, focaccia, or another hearty, crusty bread.
More Tomato and Zucchini Recipes You’ll Love:
- Summer Cavatelli Pasta with Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini
- Sautéed Zucchini with Plum Tomatoes
- Skillet Mexican Zucchini
- Raw Spiralized Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes and Pesto
- Summer Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes and Zucchini
Grilled Chicken Panini with Zucchini, Tomato, and Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 4 slices zucchini, 1/4 inch thick
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 pieces grilled chicken cutlets, 2 ounces each
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 thin slices tomato
- chopped fresh basil
- 4 slices sour dough bread, cut 1/4 inch thick (4 oz total)
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Season zucchini with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Spray with oil and add the zucchini, grill on each side about 2 minutes each, until grill marks form. Set aside.
- Spray one side of each slice of bread.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Place 2 slices of bread oiled side down on the skillet.
- Top each piece of bread with 1 ounce of cheese, divide the zucchini on top, grilled chicken, tomato slices and basil and the remaining cheese.
- Top with the remaining bread oil side up. Use a heavy pot or skillet to press it down and cook until the bottom piece of bread is golden, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Use a spatula to carefully flip the sandwich over. Cook until the other slice of bread is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Cut in half diagonally and serve with your favorite soup.
