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A chicken pesto panini

Chicken "Pesto" Panini

Takes ten minutes to throw together with leftover grilled chicken. Easy enough for lunch but legit enough for dinner paired with a simple salad.  And/or maybe a second panini. SO GOOD.
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5 from 1 vote
Author Lillie
Course Sandwich
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients

  • Crusty loaf of french bread sliced as thin as possible I like the double pack of fresh loaves from Costco
  • 3.5 oz 100 g Leftover grilled chicken (Mine is marinated in a simple blend of garlic, cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and s/p but any chicken works)
  • 1/4 cup low-fat mayo best foods has one with only 1 fat per serving- greek yogurt works too.
  • 3 frozen basil cubes Dorot brand found at my basic grocers and Trader Joes- or sub 2-3 tbs fresh.
  • 1 frozen garlic cube also Dorot
  • 1.5 slices lite havarti cheese
  • Sliced roma tomatoes
  • handful of arugula

Instructions

For the Basil Garlic Mayo

  • Let the basil and garlic sit in the mayo for a few minutes to soften while you prep other things, then stir together with a pinch of salt and pepper.  (Or soften the cubes in the microwave for just 5-10 seconds.)  Save your leftovers because you're gonna want this on everything.

For the Sandwich

  • Take two slices of bread (mine came to 45 grams total which is only 20 carbs)
  • Top the bottom slice with 1 tbs of basil garlic mayo and one slice of cheese
  • Arrange chicken (I used 100 g (about 3.5 oz) leftover tenderloins butterflied at an angle to fit just right).
  • Top with sliced tomato, arugula, and extra half slice of cheese, then second piece of bread.
  • Spray the outside of the sandwich with cooking spray and cook over medium-hight heat until the cheese is melty and the bread is toasty.

Notes

*I know this isn't pesto-- but I keep trying to make a yummy macro-friendly pesto and it's hard! Pesto really wants to be swimming with olive oil and nuts. But with this guilt-free creamy base, you get all the flavor and keep your fats super low.

Nutrition

Serving: 1panini with 100 g chickenCalories: 365kcalFat: 9gProtein: 43gCarbohydrates: 26g
Keywords arugula, basil, chicken, french bread, garlic, panini, pesto

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