Dinner on our new cute kids' plates from Target!

Ages ago, I found a recipe for Southwest Chicken Salad Panini. It sounded good, so I filed it away in my recipe box–which is actually a 12″x12″ crate with a bunch of binders and folders… there are so many recipes I want to try. Let’s not even mention my GoogleReader and Firefox bookmarks… Oh. My. Goodness. But what can I say? I learned from my mom! She has a ton of recipes too! Anyway, I finally got around to making the sandwiches. It was super easy and made for a good, quick weeknight dinner, perfect for sitting around and watching TV. The panini had a ton of flavor, a little bit of spice, and was very filling. On the side, steamed green beans and rutabaga fries were great too… we just couldn’t get enough!

Southwest Chicken Panini [adapted from Kraft]

Ingredients:

• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 2 slices cheese [I used havarti]
• 1 tablespoon Miracle Whip
• 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into chunks
• black pepper
• cooking spray

Directions:

Heat panini grill, George Foreman grill, or a medium sized skillet to medium heat. I used a panini grill, but any of the other options would probably work just as well. In a medium sized bowl, mix chicken, Miracle Whip, and ranch to combine. Then season with paprika and a dash of pepper. Spray one side of each piece of bread with cooking spray, then fill the bread with a slice of cheese and chicken salad. Place on grill/skillet when hot and cook until cheese has melted and bread is toasted. This should take anywhere from 4-8 minutes, depending on your grill/skillet.

Note:

Veggies–especially tomatoes–would be a great addition to this panini! I just didn’t have any when I made it.   The original recipe did call for it though.