You guys probably know by now that i love cheese. I love it a lot. A lot, a lot, like why don’t you marry it already, a lot. I don’t discriminate when it comes to cheese. I love it all and the stinkier the better. Cheddar isn’t a stinky cheese so it works with the family too. My little monkeys can handle cheddar but not the sticky cheese. I think I was probably the same way growing up, but I do clearly remember liking brie. Mmmmmm. brie (drool)
Anyway….. back to cheddar. It’s a great family cheese. I go with sharp but you can get varying strengths of flavor and gradually work your family up to the good stuff. 🙂 One of my favorite things to put out when I’m having friends over is a cheese tray. There’s no cooking involved so it helps to lighten the prep work so you can enjoy the party too. A good cheese place is more than just cheese and crackers. I like to have at least three different types of cheese, crackers of course and then a fruit or two. My favorites are purple grapes and apples, both red and green. I can remember the first time I had cheese with an apple. I was visiting my great aunt in New Hampshire for either my grandmother’s birthday or one of her siblings and my great aunt put out brie and apples. Oh. My. Gosh!!!!! I think I sat in the kitchen with all the adults as they caught up and ate that entire tray. So good!
It’s been rainy here, (imagine that in Portland, OR) so I wanted a warm grilled cheese sandwich to warm me up. There’s not much better than a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold, rainy day, right? I went to the store and my imagination and hunger started running away with me and my cart. I started grabbing things for all kinds of sandwiches. When I got home the first one I had to have was this Cheddar, Apple & Chicken Panini. Let me tell you it was the greatest! The sharp cheddar works so well against the sweet and sour green apple and the grilled chicken is a nice way to add some protein and make it a meal that keeps you full. I would recommend that you make this for a warm lunch or a quick dinner for the family as soon as possible!
Ingredients
- 8 pieces of sour dough bread
- 2 tbsp of butter softened
- 16 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 green apples sliced thinly
- 2 chicken breasts cooked sliced
Instructions
- warm panini maker or large skillet over med heat
- spread butter on one side of each piece of bread
- on the non butter side lay 2 pieces of cheese, a layer of apples, a layer of chicken strips, then 2 more slices of cheese
- place the second piece of bread on top with butter side up
- place on panini maker and press top down or on skillet and way it down with another pan and a weight
- flip after 3-5 min or until bottom is golden brown
- cook that side for another 3-5 min or until golden brown as well
- remove and slice in half
- continue to make the rest of the sandwiches
- enjoy!
Becky Houston says
I was just wondering what the nutritional information was on this sandwich, primarily the calorie count. I am going to make this for my family tonight. It sounds delicious! Thank you!!
Aubrey Cota says
I’m not sure what the calorie count is on this one but you can use a site called calorieking.com to help find out.
Lisa says
Looks delicious. Am I reading it wrong or is the chicken inadvertently omitted from the recipe instructions?
Aubrey says
Thanks Lisa. I had left the chicken out of the instructions. It’s been updated.