My very best Chicken Panini

Top View

Artisan bread
Kirkland Pesto
Guacamole
Fresh ricotta
Tender cooked chicken
Fresh ground pepper
Weber Kick'N Chicken spice
Juice of 1 lime

Marinate cooked chicken for 1 hour in lime juice and spices.

Take two pieces of artisan bread. On one side spread pesto, then ricotta cheese. Place guacamole on top then chicken. You may add cheddar or pepperjack cheese but this is optional.
Take your second piece of bread and spread some pesto on this piece as well. (The inside of the bread not the side you will be grilling.)
Brush the top and bottom of both sides of sandwich with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese (cheddar looks great, pepperjack gives it a kick).
Grill in a panini maker 2-3 minutes.


Side view


This sandwich is just so warm, toasty, and tasty. Made it for book group and it was a huge hit. Something about the soft inside with the crunchy outside is what made it work so well.

If I were making this today, I would make the ricotta and bread in the morning. (You could also make your bread earlier and pull it out of the freezer the morning of your party.) Getting your chicken cooked and ready will mean all you have to do is assemble your panini the night of your dinner. Then it is just a matter of grilling them.
It took me a good 20 min. to grill 15 paninis.

For book group, I warmed some fresh rosemary in the oil, on the stove, until fragrant and then strained it before brushing on the top of the bread for grilling. It added even more flavor, if that is possible.

You could also cook your chicken in a crock pot and freeze it, or keep it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble. Rotisserie chicken will make this a bit easier to make. It is a bit of work to get ready but then it's a breeze to assemble and cook.
I seasoned my chicken with the spices and lime juice and let it marinate until dinner.
You can see from the picture I stuck a piece of cheddar cheese in this sandwich.  Not sure it's necessary with all the other good stuff.
Have made this a few times since and I wouldn't bother putting cheese inside, but I did find if I sprinkled some cheese on top of the bread , it helped it brown.
You could probably buy your ricotta, but I think the Barefoot Contessa's recipe is just so amazing.  It turns our perfectly everytime I make it, and it tastes fabulous.  You should try it and see how easy it is.