Chicken Tikka Panini

My kids have very different taste buds…one loves pasta, pesto, salmon and sweet corn but for the other this is her worst nightmare so when you get a meal where BOTH kids love it…AND ask you to make it again you know you’re onto a winner!…and the best bit? It’s so easy to make!..(as always! 😉) and it also has veg in it too! 👍🏼 Grated cucumber and chopped spinach to the rescue! 🥒🍃🙌🏻

All you need to do is roast off some chicken legs which have been coated in chicken tikka paste, or thighs would work too, shred the meat, add some chopped spinach and grated cucumber to it and then sandwich into some panini bread with lots of grated cheese….griddle until crisp and the cheese has melted. It really is that easy!

So yes first up is to coat your chicken legs. Make some small incisions into the skin so that the paste gets into the meat.

If you like you can marinade this in advance to get even more flavour!

Drizzle the chicken with some olive oil, season and pop some chopped red onion in here too and then whack the chicken into a preheated oven at 180C for around 35-40 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.

Then you need to shred your chicken and place into a bowl:

Next add some chopped spinach, about a handful, and some grated cucumber about 2 inches worth.

Now place this mixture into your panini and top with grated cheese

Then onto a griddle pan (or use a panini maker if you have one!) press down on this to flatten and it’s done with the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted!

So good!

So just to recap here’s what you’ll need:

• Panini rolls or ciabatta or similar
• 2 chicken legs
• 1 jar of chicken tikka paste – use enough to liberally cover both chicken legs
• 2 inch of grated cucumber
• Handful of chopped spinach
• 1 red onion – roughly choppped
• Large handful of grated cheddar cheese

And here’s what you need to do:

• Preheat the oven to 180C
• Start by making some incisions into your chicken legs and then coat liberally in your chicken tikka paste and add to a baking tray.
• Next throw in some roughly choppped red onion, season and then drizzle with oil.
• Place into the oven for 35-40 mins or until the chicken is cooked through
• Remove from the oven and shred the chicken into a bowl
• Add your spinach and cucumber and mix thoroughly
• Place this mixture into the middle of your pannini, top with cheddar cheese and then griddle. Flattening the bread.
• Remove once the bread is slightly crispy and the cheese has melted.
• Serve with some veg!