Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Apparently I am on a hot sandwich kick.  My little sister, who is living with us right now, made the comment that she hadn't thought of sandwiches for dinner before.  But, after the last few meals we've had she has begun to rethink that. 

This hot sandwich recipe comes from my friend Katie who is another great cook and does a lot of similar style cooking as mine.  I loved the recipe before I even got to cook it.  It has all the makings of a great meal - mozzarella, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, basil, roasted red peppers... Yum!  Put it all together and you have a delicious, warm sandwich that makes a great meal. 

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Chicken Sandwich

1 loaf ciabatta bread
2 chicken breast
salt/pepper
garlic powder (approx. 1/2 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
2-3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp. basil pesto
fresh mozzarella
handful fresh basil leaves

Instructions:

In a skillet, heat olive oil.  Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your taste preferences.  Cook them over medium high heat until no longer pink in the middle, approximately 4-6 minutes per side.  Set aside.

Cut ciabatta loaf in half the long way. 

Combine tomato paste and pesto in a bowl.  Use more or less of each depending on your taste preferences.  Spread it on one side of the bread. On the other side of the bread, lay the roasted red peppers in a single layer.  Brush olive oil onto the bread in the spaces between the red peppers so the bread doesn't burn.

Slice the chicken thinly or shred.  Lay chicken on top of pesto spread.  Add fresh mozzarella to the top of the chicken.  Bake sandwich open in the oven at 375 for 10 - 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and sandwich is hot. 

Remove from oven.  Add basil leaves and put the two halves of the sandwich together.  Slice, serve, enjoy!

Husband Rating: 7 out of 10 (Which is incredibly high because my husband does not like sun dried tomatoes!)

Food for Thought: I did see in the store a sun dried tomato pesto already mixed up if you want to skip one step.  However, by mixing it up yourself, you can favor your flavor preferences.  Mine is definitely more heavy on the basil pesto side, especially because my husband doesn't like the sun dried tomatoes.  Either one works just fine!