Name: Roast Chicken Pita Panini with Cucumber-Olive Salad
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3/4 cup pitted kalmata olives, halved lengthwise, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons olive brine; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced thin; 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin; Salt and pepper; 1 (2 1/2-pound) rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-size pieces (about 3 cups); 1 cup crumbled feta cheese; 4 (8-inch) pita breads

Why This Recipe Works

To cut down on the cooking time for our Roast Chicken Pita Panini with Cucumber-Olive Salad, we used a whole, cooked rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken ourselves. Weighing down the sandwiches with a Dutch oven created a makeshift panini press. For easy cleanup, we covered the bottom of the Dutch oven with aluminum foil.

Instructions

Whisk olive brine, 1½ teaspoons oregano, and mustard in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in 4 tablespoons oil until emulsified. Add cucumbers, olives, and half of onion and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Combine chicken, feta, remaining onion, 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining oregano in large bowl. Cover half of each pita round with one-quarter of chicken mixture and fold over. Brush both sides of pita with remaining oil.

Heat grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight with Dutch oven. Cook sandwiches until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve with cucumber-olive salad.