Pesto Chicken Paninis

I am a big fan of Pinterest.  That is where I stumbled upon this little gem here.

Her recipe is really for stuffed shells.  I didn't have any shells and some of the reviews said that the shells got overcooked/chewy from being baked.  If I were to do this recipe more like she directs, I would make the shells like the recipe says and then cover the shells with my favorite spaghetti sauce and sprinkle it with Mozzarella cheese.  I'd probably make sure to cover with foil while baking too.  Chewy baked pasta grosses me out.  I want to avoid that.

I was contemplating how to make this recipe with what I had on hand.  Then I whipped up a loaf of French bread in my bread machine and made paninis!  I was so pleased with myself, and I loved this as a chicken salad of sorts.  Andy burst my bubble when he didn't love it half as much as I did.  My mom helped me out though.  I had her over later that night to sample the filling on a sandwich and she said it was great.  It reminded her of a Parmesan chicken salad from our grocery store that costs over $5 per pound.  That made me feel better!  The filling was also really good as a cold sandwich.  I think I preferred it warm, but both ways were fantastic.

I'm looking forward to making these paninis again.  I am also really interested in trying it in pasta shells.  I love expanding my freezer meal options.

Here's the recipe (and how I modified it):

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
original Joelen recipe

12-16 jumbo pasta shells (Skip.  Get some yummy French or Italian bread)
water for boiling pasta (Skip)
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping (I only used 1/2 cup Parm.)
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced (I skipped this and used 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt)
salt and pepper to taste (since I added garlic salt I skipped this too)


In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

* To make ahead/freezer meals - Prepare as directed but place filled shells in an oven- and freezer-proof baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells, cover and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts. 

Panini Instuctions:

Combine the ingredients to make the chicken filling.  Add as much filling as desired between two pieces of bread.  Butter the bread and cook on a grill, griddle or in a George Forman grill until warm and crispy.  Enjoy!