Chipotle Chicken Panini

This is true comfort food... a greasy cheesy chicken panini! Bacon and red onions add a delightful crunch, while chipotle-lime mayonnaise adds some spice that's counteracted by the sharp Cheddar and shaved chicken. My panini infatuation was triggered by Panera Bread's extensive selection of sandwiches. I quickly discovered that I could make most of them at home- in a much healthier manner! (Restaurants add way too much sodium and other preservatives that it's best to avoid.) Paninis make the perfect lunch, snack, or quick dinner fix. I use a panini press, but you can always heat up a griddle or ridged grill pan and flatten the panini by placing a second pan on top (just make sure to flip halfway through).

INGREDIENTS
4 slices whole wheat sourdough or artisan bread
tomato, sliced
red onion, thinly sliced
chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced
sharp Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled (about 1 slice per sandwich)
salt and pepper, to taste

Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste
1/2 of a chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

NOTE: If you don't have canned chipotles in adobo, you could use chipotle chili powder and/or ancho chili powder and lime juice to taste.

DIRECTIONS
1. To make the chipotle mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise and chipotle pepper in a small food processor. Pulse to combine. Blend in lemon juice (somewhere between 1/2-1 tsp.). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat panini press. (I spray mine with cooking spray right before placing the sandwiches on.)

3. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Top two of the slices with Cheddar, chicken, tomato (I like to sprinkle them with salt and pepper), onion, bacon, and the second slice of bread. Grill on the panini press until the cheese has melted and the outside is crisp.

Makes 2 paninis.

(Sandwich inspired by Panera, Mayonnaise adapted from Bobby Flay)