Chicken Cheese Panini Sandwich – Slimmed Down Lunch Delight

This chicken cheese panini sandwich is a slimmed-down version of one of my favorite lunch treats from Panera Bread. Reduced-fat cheese and a low-calorie bread and butter substitute save a significant amount of calories while still retaining the flavor and texture of the sandwich.

Fresh herbs, colorful tomatoes, and nutritious spinach add brightness to the sandwich that you will love.

Continue reading to discover how to prepare this healthy chicken panini recipe.

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Ingredients in the chicken panini sandwich

To make this delicious sandwich, you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 slices of white enriched bread (use a bread with no more than 120 calories for TWO slices
• 4 ounces of cooked skinless chicken breast
• 2 ounces of 50% low fat cheddar cheese
• 4 slices of tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, Light
• Small bunch of baby spinach leaves

You’ll also need a panini press.

How to make a slimmed-down chicken cheese panini

Start by buttering one side of each of the four slices of bread with I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, Light, making sure the spread covers the bread to the edges.

Place some roasted chicken on two of the slices of bread.

Add 2 slices of tomato and 1 ounce of reduced-fat cheese to each sandwich.

Fresh chives give an oniony flavor to the sandwich for very few calories, and baby spinach leaves add a nutritional boost and a pop of color and extra texture.

Heat the Panini pan until it is nice and hot. Add the sandwiches onto the grill side and place the panini press on top. It takes just 30 seconds on each side to heat the sandwich and produce grill marks.

The weight of the press makes the panini cook very quickly.

Tasting the chicken panini sandwich

The sandwich has a great taste. It’s not as gooey as a full-fat version at Panera, but still has loads of flavor.

Best of all, you will get a whole chicken cheese panini sandwich instead of a half-size portion.

Serve the chicken cheese panini with a small bowl of ground turkey chili.  It makes a very satisfying and filling meal with about 550 calories.

This yummy chicken panini recipe teams up cheddar cheese, chives, and spinach for a great-tasting sandwich. And don’t you just LOVE the look of those panini pan grill marks?

Calories in a chicken panini with cheese:

This lightened-up chicken panini is a healthier version of the normal recipe.  Here are the nutrition facts:

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🔥🍗 Craving a tasty lunch? Try this slimmed-down chicken cheese panini with juicy chicken, melty cheese, fresh spinach & chives — grilled to perfection in minutes! 😋🥬 #LunchIdeas #Panini #Homemade #ComfortFood #EasyRecipes Share on X

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Admin note: This recipe for a chicken spinach panini sandwich first appeared on the blog in January 2017. This post has been updated with new photos, nutritional information,  and a slideshow video featuring other healthy recipes.

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