Chicken Sandwich with Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers and Pesto

You’ve heard of a Margherita pizza? Here’s a Margherita sandwich, stuffed with many delicious, colorful ingredients— red peppers, chicken, mozzarella, spinach and pesto. Red, White and Green-- just like the Italian flag!

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Total Time: 20 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED:

For each sandwich:

2 slices hearty bread (whole grain, sour dough or country style)

2 tsp. pesto

1 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into strips

3 oz. cooked chicken breast, cut into slices   

¼ cup roasted red peppers, drained

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

 MAKING IT:

Spread one side of each bread slice with pesto.  Layer onto the pesto-side of one slice of bread: mozzarella cheese, chicken, red peppers and spinach.  Top with second bread slice, pesto side facing inside.  Grill both sides of the bread in a non-stick fry pan or use panini grill, until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.

Nutrition Information per serving (1 Sandwich): 570 Calories; 23g Total Fat; (10g Sat Fat; 0g Trans Fat); 125mg Chol; 670mg Sodium; 47g Total Carb; (4g Fiber; 9g Sugars); 42g Protein; 20% DV Calcium; 20% DV Iron

 TIPS:

DO AHEAD: Cook chicken breast ahead of time—grilling or poaching works great to cook chicken quickly. Chill cooked chicken until ready to make sandwiches. This recipe is also great with leftover chicken.

Substitute pre-shredded mozzarella cheese in place of fresh mozzarella cheese, if desired.

Substitute fresh red peppers, cut into strips, if desired.