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Home » Recipes » Main Dish » Poultry » Garden Fresh Panini
Garden Fresh Panini with Leftover Roasted Chicken
April 22, 2009

Garden Fresh Panini

From the Kitchen of Katie Kick

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Today I’m guest posting for Marie over at Make and Takes. In celebration of Earth Day, I’m talking all about gardening. For more pictures of spring in Sunny, New Mexico and our garden head over and visit Make and Takes.

We’ve been super busy getting our garden in and ready for the spring and summer months. I do so much cooking and love fresh veggies that we thought a garden project would be a great idea this year. We’ve had a fantastic time putting it together and tending it. I’m anxiously waiting to indulge in the fruits of our labor. We’ve planted asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, green onions, sugar snap peas, lettuce seeds, basil, tarragon, dill, cilantro, parsley, blueberries, tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers…I think that’s it! Madeline and I got to eat two small strawberries yesterday. I can’t wait for more sweet and juicy goodness!

I’ve learned that whole chicken is a very frugal way to eat, and it was so tasty! After 2 nights of Easter Dinner, I sliced up the leftovers and froze them. Eric took the drumsticks in his lunch the day after. Last week we used those leftovers for two nights of these delicious paninis. I also used the scraps and chicken carcass to make a great homemade chicken stock. I’d say that the $10 for an organic whole chicken was well worth it! Today I’m sharing a wonderful garden fresh recipe and a great way to use up leftover roasted chicken, like the one we made for Easter Dinner.

Garden Fresh Panini with Leftover Roasted Chicken
a goodLife {eats} creation

  • Rustic White Bread
  • Roasted Chicken
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Olive Oil
  • Garden Fresh Tomatoes
  • Garden Fresh Basil
  • Fresh Mozzarella

Slice bread into pieces a half an inch thick. Place two slices of mozzarella on one piece of bread. Top with chicken, tomatoes, and basil – as much or little as you like of each.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, about a 1/2 tsp of each per sandwich. Top with two more pieces of cheese and the final piece of bread. Grill using a panini press until bread is golden and cheese is melted.

Tips: If you don’t have a panini press, there are many other ways you can achieve similar results. Additionally, you can use sun dried tomatoes as a substitution for fresh. This is a great meal on a hot day with something cold to drink and fresh fruit or veggies on the side.


Tags

Balsamic Vinegar, Basil, Cheese, Chicken, Tomato

Meet Katie Kick

My lifelong interest in cooking has shown me that part of the goodness in life is enjoying delicious food with friends and family. I love trying new foods, discovering new places & things that help my family live the good life.

More About Katie
Updated: March 5, 2025

Reader Interactions

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  1. Anonymous says

    May 1, 2009 at 8:39 PM

    saw your recipe on Grow Your Own Roundup. I LOVE the photo and you know it’s delcious because someone’s already taken a bite!

    Reply
  2. Amanda Jo says

    May 1, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    And suddenly my lunch today seems sub-par! This looks AMAZING!! I am so excited to try it and try out the rustic bread recipe!!

    Reply
  3. Evening Shade Morning Latte says

    May 1, 2009 at 2:49 PM

    Ok this is certainly a must try dish. My taste buds are going into over load just looking at it.

    Reply
  4. Katie @ goodLife {eats} says

    April 26, 2009 at 3:44 PM

    Kathy – we’ll see how it goes! last year we only grew herbs. Alli – thanks so much!Kristen – hopefully we’ll be able to reap the rewards of our work. our first time growing veggies. only herbs last year!Marci – I love mine! It’s been a great purchase. I got it off of amazon for about $30.

    Reply
  5. Marci @OvercomingBusy says

    April 23, 2009 at 4:37 AM

    I keep saying I want a panini press. Now, I really need one. That sandwich looks great!

    Reply
  6. Kristen says

    April 23, 2009 at 3:18 AM

    That looks so delicious – nothing like a fresh panini sandwich!I wish I had a knack for gardening. Instead I have a black thumb 🙂

    Reply
  7. Alli Worthington {@alliworthington} says

    April 22, 2009 at 9:46 PM

    nom nom nom I’m putting this on Worthington Wire!

    Reply
  8. Kathy - Cooking On the Side says

    April 22, 2009 at 9:27 PM

    Caprese + roasted chicken = wonderful panini, in my book! Best of luck with your garden – I’m so in awe of people with green thumbs 🙂

    Reply
  9. Katie @ goodLife {eats} says

    April 22, 2009 at 8:10 PM

    Aimée – it was a normal sized chicken but it was just my hubby and I and the kids (age 4 and 1 1/2) for Easter. The kids didn’t eat any of the chicken. Probably around 5 lbs.Nate-n-Annie – Thanks! I sent you an email.

    Reply
  10. Aimée says

    April 22, 2009 at 6:26 PM

    That must have been one big chicken!Your garden sounds lovely. We’ve got at least another 2 weeks before it’s safe to plant.

    Reply
  11. modernemotive says

    April 22, 2009 at 6:17 PM

    Oh my, this looks delicious.I plan on meal planning for next week and this is one is definitely going on. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  12. Melissa says

    April 22, 2009 at 6:15 PM

    Ohhhhhh, does this look good.

    Reply
  13. Nate-n-Annie says

    April 22, 2009 at 4:58 PM

    Hi,I would like to include your recipe in our “Grow Your Own” roundup this month! For information on how to enter, please go tohttp://chezannies.blogspot.com/2009/04/hosting-april-2009-grow-your-own.htmlAloha, Nate

    Reply
  14. RecipeGirl says

    April 22, 2009 at 2:32 PM

    Yummy! This looks perfect and garden fresh!

    Reply
  15. livinghealthyintherealworld says

    April 22, 2009 at 2:31 PM

    That looks fantastic! I love making paninis in my George Foreman grill. I bet that a little bit of green pepper would taste great in there too.- Sagan

    Reply
  16. Maria says

    April 22, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    Love this panini. We use our panini press all of the time. We had roasted asparagus last night for dinner. I just love Spring!

    Reply
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Katie Kick from Good Life Eats in her kitchen

Meet Katie Kick

Hi, I’m Katie! Thank you so much for visiting my corner of the internet. I am passionate about cooking delicious and beautiful, yet accessible, food for my family and friends. I love tasting new foods, discovering new places and things that help my family live that good life.

More about Katie
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