Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Rooster Caesar Pesto Panini – Mouthwatering Meal

Scorching Rooster Caesar Pesto Panini is a mouthwatering option to elevate your on a regular basis grilled cheese sandwich. Sliced focaccia is slathered with pesto then filled with deli rooster, gooey mozzarella cheese, and a dressed caesar salad then pressed till crispy. This can be a memorable meal you’ll crave time and again.

chicken caesar pesto panini stacked on top of each oher

Hello pricey, I’m right here to jazz up lunch time. Put away your PB&J, and attain for a sizzling and crispy Rooster Caesar Pesto Panini as a substitute!

I’m not being dramatic after I say this flavor-packed sandwich blows each grilled cheese I’ve ever had out of the water. Contemporary pesto is slathered onto thick slices of focaccia that’s filled with deli rooster and gooey mozzarella cheese then grilled in a panini press till scorching. A recent Cesar Salad is stuffed inside earlier than devouring.

Scorching, chilly, crispy, tacky – this sandwich checks all of the packing containers. Bonus factors for it being make-ahead and a cinch to assemble, too!

chicken caesar pesto panini on a plate

Panini vs Grilled Cheese

Initially, what IS a panini? A panini is actually a grilled cheese sandwich made with sliced Italian bread like ciabatta or focaccia. It’s filled with meat, cheese, and generally greens (Kraft singles, eat your coronary heart out!) then heated in a panini press.

The bottom of our Rooster Caesar Pesto Panini is a loaf of my Gluten Free Focaccia which is sliced in half widthwise to create two thick slices of bread for the sandwich.

No time nor need to bake a loaf of bread? Completely get it – simply use your favourite sliced bread as a substitute.

Substances Wanted

  • Focaccia: My Gluten Free Focaccia will be made a number of days forward of time, and makes sufficient for 2-4 sandwiches. Be at liberty to slice up your favourite store-bought bread, or use store-bought sliced bread as a substitute.
  • Pesto: I’m a selfmade pesto stan, however if you wish to go the store-bought route, I’m sharing my favourite model beneath.
  • Sliced mozzarella cheese: will be discovered with all the opposite sliced cheeses on the grocery retailer nowadays.
  • Deli rooster: I like Di Lusso model, which I get on the deli meat counter, and is gluten free.
  • Romaine lettuce: is the bottom of the Caesar salad that’s stuffed inside the recent panini.
  • Ready Caesar dressing: I really like Ken’s Creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s actually one of the best bottled Caesar round.
  • Pink onion: elective, however I like the colour, crunch, and zip it brings to the panini.

Collect your elements then get able to dive into this mouthwatering meal!

chicken caesar pesto panini on a cutting board

The way to Make Home made Focaccia

The way to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Make selfmade focaccia.

Comply with my recipe for selfmade Gluten Free Focaccia a day or two forward of whenever you need to make the panini. All you want are a handful of on a regular basis elements.

Once more, when you’d slightly use sliced bread to make these panini, that’s completely tremendous.

loaf of homemade gluten free focaccia

Step 2: Construct the panini.

Slice the cooled focaccia in half horizontally to create two giant “slices” of bread – this can make sufficient for 2-4 sandwiches, FYI. If you happen to’re utilizing sliced bread, lay 2 slices per sandwich out on a chopping board.

Recipe Tip

If utilizing sliced bread, butter the outsides of the bread so that they crisp within the panini maker/skillet, then place butter-side-down on the chopping board.

Subsequent layer on 1-2 skinny slices of mozzarella cheese, adopted by thinly sliced deli rooster. Prime with one other 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese, then add the highest half of the bread, pesto-side-down.

a chicken caesar pesto sandwich being built on a cutting board

I LOVE my selfmade vegan pesto recipe but when you want to go store-bought, I extremely suggest Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto, which is what I based mostly my recipe on. I truly desire the flavour of their vegan pesto in comparison with their common one!

hand holding a tub of gotham greens vegan pesto

If utilizing focaccia bread, slice the loaf into 2-4 sandwiches. Since focaccia could be very wealthy on account of it being made with further virgin olive oil, I actually assume a 1/3 or 1/4 loaf sandwich actually satisfies!

a chicken caesar pesto panini sliced in half

Step 3: Grill the panini.

Place the panini in an electrical panini press preheated on medium-high warmth, or into a big skillet preheated over medium warmth.

Press till the cheese has melted and the highest and backside of the bread is crispy. If utilizing a skillet, flip the sandwich as soon as the underside piece of bread is crispy.

chicken caesar pesto paninis in a panini press

Step 4: Add the caesar salad.

Place the panini onto plates then add chopped romaine lettuce right into a bowl, add your required quantity of ready Caesar dressing, then toss with tongs to mix.

caesar salad in a bowl

Open up the panini then add the dressed Caesar salad plus sliced crimson onion for colour and crunch. Place the highest again on then chow down!

sandwich with chicken caesar salad and pesto

Make Forward to Grill Contemporary Later

What I really like about making these Rooster Caesar Pesto Panini is that, since a complete loaf of focaccia makes 2-4 sandwiches, I can wrap up the additional ones to press within the panini maker, or toast in a skillet later within the week.

Recipe Tip

If making the panini in a skillet after they’ve been wrapped and refrigerated, place a lid on prime of the skillet whereas they’re cooking, which is able to make sure the cheese and rooster melts and heats in time with the bread crisping up.

chicken caesar pesto paninis wrapped in plastic wrap

Being gluten free, it’s at all times a deal with to get pleasure from one thing that’s sometimes served jam-packed with gluten – at eating places, anyway – made protected and scrumptious at house. It’s an enormous a part of why these style so particular and decadent to me. I hope you get an opportunity to attempt the rooster pesto panini very quickly – get pleasure from each final drop!

chicken caesar pesto paninis with fresh pesto

Extra Tasty Lunch Concepts

  • 1 loaf Gluten Free Focaccia, see notes
  • 1 batch Pesto, see notes
  • 4-8 skinny slices mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 lb thinly-sliced deli rooster
  • 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • ready Caesar Salad Dressing, Ken’s Creamy Caesar advisable
  • 1/2 small crimson onion, thinly sliced, elective
  • Preheat an electrical panini press on medium-high warmth, or a big nonstick skillet over medium warmth.

  • Slice the Gluten Free Focaccia in half widthwise to create a prime and backside then place lower aspect up on a chopping board. If utilizing sliced bread, lay 2 bread slices per sandwich out on a chopping board.

  • Unfold pesto on all of the items of focaccia/bread then place 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese on the underside of every sandwich (might solely want 1 slice relying on how giant the bread slice is that if utilizing sliced bread). Layer in your desired quantity of deli rooster then place 1-2 extra slices of mozzarella cheese on prime.

  • Place the highest of the focaccia/bread pesto-side down on prime of the sandwich. If utilizing focaccia bread, slice into 2 – 4 thick sandwiches. Place the sandwiches contained in the pre-heated panini press or into the underside of the skillet, if utilizing.

  • Grill till the panini is golden brown and the cheese has melted (if utilizing a skillet, flip the sandwich when the underside aspect is golden brown), then switch to plates.

  • To a medium-size mixing bowl, add the romaine lettuce and your required quantity of Caesar dressing then toss with tongs to coat. Take away the highest slice of focaccia/bread from the paninis then prime with the dressed Caesar salad. Add crimson onion slices if desired then exchange the bread on prime and serve instantly.

  • Be at liberty to substitute your favourite store-bought bread for the selfmade focaccia bread. If utilizing store-bought bread, unfold softened butter on the outsides of the bread to make sure they crisp and brown within the panini maker or pan.
  • Substitute your favourite store-bought pesto for the selfmade pesto. I extremely suggest Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto (I desire the flavour of their vegan pesto over their common pesto).
  • That is actually a “no recipe” kind of recipe – that mentioned, use as a lot rooster, cheese, salad, and so forth. as you personally desire!

photo collage of chicken caesar pesto panini

Pictures by Ashley McLaughlin

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