Pressed Chicken and Pesto Sandwich

So last year I made a Shooter's and it proved to be quite a popular post with rather a lot of people having a look here on Instructables (thanks everyone, by the way!).  I was craving a pressed sandwich so considered making another one but didn't have an armful of steak and didn't want to wait hours to satisfy my craving so made a mini version with chicken - let me tell you, it was AWESOME!  Go to your kitchen and try it right now!

Season the chicken breast with a pinch of salt and pepper then grill until cooked through - I sliced mine in half to reduce the cooking time and to also make it easier to layer for the sandwich.  Leave it to one side until cool enough to handle - in the meantime follow the next steps to get the sandwich part ready...

Cut a "lid" off the bread roll, put to one side and then hollow out the bottom part of the roll.  I've found it's best to use a softer roll rather than one with a real crusty crust - I found a sundried tomato roll which I thought would go well with the chicken and pesto.

Spread pesto across the bottom part of the roll.

Now it's time to start layering.  Make sure with each layer you push the ingredients into all nooks and crannies.


Spinach first...

Now some slices of tomato (I took out the seeds because I find they make things a bit soggy)...

...some mozzarella (or meltable cheese of your choice!)...

...and the chicken.  I tore it into pieces to make it easier to create a nice even layer...

...and now it starts to be a bit of a balancing act so make sure you keep pressing all of the fillings down firmly...more cheese...

...a little more spinach...

...and finally spread some more pesto on the "lid"...

Now that the fillings are all tucked in nicely, place the lid on top and then wrap tightly in greaseproof paper followed by a tight wrapping of foil.

Place a flat object such as a cutting board on the sandwich and add some weights - cans, a heavy skillet, dumb bells, etc.

Leave to press for about 10 minutes.  While the sandwich is getting a little squashed, heat up your grill or sandwich press.  I have a George Foreman grill which has a grill side with a lid and flat griddle side and I've found that the grill section is perfect for making toasted sandwiches as you can add a little weight to the lid plus it heats from both sides.  If you don't have anything like that you can just use a frying pan on the stovetop - place the sandwich in the pan, weight it down from the top, cook on one side for about 5 minutes on a medium heat then flip it over and repeat.

Serve hot off the grill with your favourite chutney or relish.

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1 medium bread roll
1 handful of spinach, washed and blotted dry
3 slices tomato
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
2 teaspoons pesto