Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich

I really like grilled cheese. Or love it. Whatever. But I've been CRAVING more than just a regular ol' grilled cheese. I want ADULT grilled cheese. So, I decided to combine some of my favorite FLAVORS on a sandwich. And GRILLED it!

Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich

3/4 cup (or so) balsamic vinegar

1 chicken breast or 3 or 4 tenders

Dried thyme, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin

1/3 sweet onion, sliced

1/2 red bell peppers, sliced

4 slices nutty whole wheat bread

Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce by about half. Remove from heat, stir in a few drizzles of honey, and set aside.

Pat chicken dry and then sprinkle spices and seasonings over each side. Cook in a frying pan with about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, until nicely browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft and then set aside. Now saute the peppers until soft. Drizzle the bell peppers with some of the balsamic glaze, toss to coat, and remove from heat. 

Lay bread on a flat surface and sprinkle some of the cheeses on top of 2 slices. Cut the cooled chicken into thin slices and lay over the cheese (you may not use it all, so just snack on it!). Top with the onions and bell peppers. Drizzle more of the balsamic glaze over top and finish it off with more cheese and the remaining bread. Butter the bread and toast like you would a grilled cheese. :)

TIP: I like to season each layer of this sandwich with a little salt and pepper. I think provolone or gouda cheese would also be super yummy in place of the mozzarella. I also think using fresh basil leaves between the layers would be fantastic. I'm sad I didn't have any to try that day!