These sandwiches are perfect for a warm summer night. The chicken can be made a day ahead and either re-heated or served cold day of. Invest in a good, quality French bread, it makes all the difference in this recipe.
Liberally rub the thighs with basil pesto – I use store bought in this recipe for faster prep. Homemade would be even better…
Reserve the juices – they’ll serve as a flavor packed “mayo” later on…
Super fresh mozzarella and vine ripe tomatoes – perfect combination.
Delicious, fresh French bread – it makes all the difference.
Open wide!
One my favorite sandwiches!
Fresh Mozzarella Chicken Pesto Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
- 3 tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 loaf French bread, split down the middle and cut into four portions
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rub chicken thighs liberally with pesto and place in a shallow, foil lined pan.
- Baked for 30 – 35 minutes until cooked throughout.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a medium bowl toss spinach with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with pinches of salt and pepper. Toss well to combine.
- Thinly slice chicken thighs and reserve any pan juices.
- To assemble the sandwiches:
- Brush the insides of the bread with some of the chicken pan juices; about 1 tbsp. per sandwich. Layer the chicken, mozzarella, then tomatoes. Season tomatoes with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Then add the spinach. Repeat with remaining bread.
Tagged: balsamic vinegar, chicken, french bread, fresh mozzarella, garden fresh, pesto, sandwiches, spinach, tomatoes
Yum, our family loves sandwiches for dinner, especially during those warm summer months! These sandwiches look wonderful and I love the sound of this chicken pesto with all these veggies.