Pesto Chicken Panini: Making Use of Leftovers

So, I made this sandwich a way long time ago and realized I never posted it! I came up with the quasi - recipe when I was trying to figure out what to do with my remaining Roasted Red Pepper & Pesto Chicken Salad. I love the chicken salad on it’s own but wanted to find some other way to mix up the recipe. That’s when this sandwich was born. I made it for me and my husband and we both enjoyed them! This can be a lunch or dinner item. Packed with protein, complex carbs, fiber, some calcium, and vitamins, including B vitamins and vitamin K this one sandwich packs a nutritional punch! The pesto and roasted red peppers keep this sandwich moist and full of flavor and adding the melty mozzarella takes it up another few notches. I always remind clients and friends to not overthink meals. If you can get three out of the five food groups at a meal, excellent! The sandwich can be easily overlooked, but if we take a closer look at this guy, we see that you get the “3 out of the 5” in just this one item! Whole grains, dairy, and meat are all here. Plus there are just a few little veggies snuck in there as well! The next time you toss together my Seven Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper & Pesto Chicken Salad, make sure to plan for this grilled panini with some of the leftovers. It won’t disappoint!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

PESTO CHICKEN PANINI

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 slices hearty whole grain bread (my go-to’s are Dave’s Killer Bread, Seeduction bread from Whole Foods, and Flax & Chia Seed bread from Central Market)

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of my prepared Roasted Red Pepper & Pesto Chicken Salad

• 3 thin slices of mozzarella cheese (you could also sprinkle on shredded, if desired (about 1/4 cup shredded)

• About 3/4 cup fresh spinach

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly toast the two slices of bread.

2. Preheat a panini press or heat a small skillet oiled with about 1 teaspoon of butter over medium heat.

3. Place prepared chicken salad on one of the slices of toasted bread.

4. Lay mozzarella slices over the chicken (or sprinkle if using shredded

5. Top mozzarella with fresh spinach leaves.

6. Make sure your skillet or panini press is preheated and top the layered ingredients with other slice of bread.

7. Place sandwich in panini press, press down and cook until the mozzarella cheese is softened and melty and the bread is crispy.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad: Dairy Free Chicken Salad

This week I want to share with you guys one of my go-to chicken salad recipes. It’s so simple but makes simple baked chicken wayyyy more exciting. Growing up I did not like chicken salad because I always felt like it was more mayonnaise than chicken and the mix-ins. So, I started coming up with my own recipes! I posted one of my favorites a long time ago (this confetti chicken salad) and now I’m sharing this variety. It’s such a simple solution to making sure there is something for lunch each day and I promise it’s more meat and mix-ins than mayo. Actually this variety doesn’t have any mayo at all. I typically throw it together on a Sunday afternoon or a Monday night after work. It probably takes a total of 45-ish minutes to put together, prep to plate, but about 20 to 30 of those minutes are hands-off to free you up for other things!

Hope you make time to try this recipe and that it gives you some simple lunch or dinner solutions!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

HONEY DIJON CHICKEN SALAD

Makes about 3 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (should make about 3 cups cooked chopped)

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey

• 1 cup diced celery (about 2 to 3 large stalks)

• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook chicken according to instructions for my Tender Oven-Baked Chicken. (Or use your own favorite cooking method for simple chicken)

3. While chicken bakes in the oven, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard and honey.

4. Set aside.

5. When the chicken is done, allow to cool slightly.

6. Once cooled slightly, dice chicken into bite-size chunks and add to a medium mixing bowl.

7. Add honey dijon dressing to the diced chicken, mixing well to incorporate all of the dressing with the chicken.

8. Add in the diced celery and dried cranberries.

9. Mix everything well to combine all ingredients so that when served, each person gets sweet tangy bites of chicken, tart cranberries and a crunch of celery in every bite.

10. Enjoy!

NUTRITION NOTES:

A recipe packed with protein and vitamin B12

NUTRITION INFO (per 1 cup):

413 calories, 43 grams Protein, 14 grams Carb, 18 grams Fat, 0.8 grams Fiber, 1.5 grams Iron, 33 mg Calcium

Ten Minute Mediterranean Tuna Melt

Hello!

I posted this tuna melt on my stories a while back and had some of you wanting me to share the recipe. So, I’m finally getting it up! This is such a simple meal. You can literally put it together in ten minutes. This meal is full of fiber, whole grains, complex carbs, protein, omega 3’s (healthy fats), and calcium.

It is great for a quick weekend lunch or a quick early dinner before an evening game or practice. It could also be a lighter but refueling option after a late game or practice (when dinner may have been eaten as early as 4:45 or 5:00 p.m. and it’s now 8:30 p.m. and the athlete has been playing for hours).

I actually made one of these this past Saturday. I was going to use the remaining tuna for a salad on Sunday, but when I went to the fridge, it was all gone. Apparently, Kyle is a fan as well… :)

So, here you go! The recipe for this super simple Ten Minute Mediterranean Tuna Melt!

Ten Minute Mediterranean Tuna Melt

Makes 1 sandwich (with leftover tuna to make 2 more sandwiches or a salad)

INGREDIENTS:

For the tuna salad:

• One 5 ounce can of white chunk tuna (packed in water)

• 2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon plain yogurt (I used low-fat Greek)

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon honey

• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (+ more for sprinkling over top of sandwich)

• 3 Cherub tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces

• 2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives (5 Kalamata olives)

For the Sandwich:

• 1 slice of whole grain bread

• 1 slice of Provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Shred tuna in a small bowl.

2. Using a toaster, toast whole grain bread to desired doneness.

3. Mix the tuna with the yogurt, dijon and honey.

4. Mix in the chopped tomatoes, olives and dill.

5. Spread 1/4 cup of the tuna mixture out evenly over 1 slice of toasted whole grain bread.

6. Turn the oven to Broil, on high.

7. Place toast on a small baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 1 minute until the cheese is all melty.

8. Enjoy!

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