The Perfect Panini

I made these for lunch on Sunday and they were so good we ended up having them again on Monday.

Well, that and the fact that we didn't have anything else in the fridge.  What can I say? I hate going to the grocery store.

But really. The combination of the goat cheese which melts into delicious sauciness with the grilled onions and artichoke hearts was amazing.

I love paninis. They are spring's comfort food. Not that it is spring yet here in Utah, but I keep trying to pretend it is.

Mind over matter! Where there is a will, there's a way! And all other cliches that make me think I can use the power of positive thinking to warm up the weather.

So go ahead and treat yourself to something nice, a panini is the perfect weekend treat.

Enjoy!

Fully Loaded Panini

For the grilled chicken:

• 1 whole chicken breast
• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Dash of onion powder

1. Pound the chicken breast thin and use a knife to trim off the fat pieces. 
2. Rub seasonings over one side of the breast.
3. Place the chicken in a grill pan (I have a panini/grill pan combo which I love and use on the daily) and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side until cooked through. 

For the Panini:

• 2 pieces sourdough bread (or other crusty, yummy bread--sandwich bread not recommended)
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 TBS goat cheese (or other yummy cheese but goat cheese is the best)
• 1/4 (or a little less) purple onion
• 4-6 artichoke hearts
• 6-8 spinach leaves
• 1 grilled chicken breast

1. The the same pan used to cook the chicken, grill up your onions for approximately 5 minutes or until brown and soft.
2. Lightly butter the outside pieces of bread (not both sides, just the one that will touch the pan).
3. Spread the dijon mustard over the other sides of the bread.
4. Place the goat cheese, onions, artichoke hearts, spinach, and chicken breast in between the two slices of bread.
5. Put the sandwich (buttered sides out) on a panini pan and flip after 3 minutes or until desired color/crispiness. 

Serve with a side salad, or, if you are fancy like me, tator tots.