I hope everyone in the States had a lovely Thanksgiving! We spent ours in Iowa with my family and are gearing up to head to the airport any minute now. I wanted to get this post up before we left though because Eralda just published my very first guest post! Eralda’s blog, The Split Pea, is full of spell-binding stories, pictures, and delicious recipes, so I was very honored when she asked me to come up with a recipe for her blog. I decided to do a twist on a traditional summer tomato panzanella, and ended up making a fall version with toasted pumpkernickel, roasted beets, and goat cheese. Check out Eralda’s blog for the picture and recipe!
The next day, I whipped up these tasty chicken paninis with the leftover pumpernickel bread and goat cheese. I made the goat cheese into a spread by mixing it with a bit of milk and parmesan cheese, and topped the chicken with crispy tart apple slices, which really elevated the sandwich to a whole new level!
Pumpernickel Chicken Panini with Goat Cheese and Apples
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
4 slices pumpernickel bread
1/2 half granny smith apple, cored and sliced
Directions:
Cut chicken breast in half lengthwise and sprinkle evenly with salt. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet and cook chicken 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.
Meanwhile, mix goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and milk in a small bowl.
Spread each piece of bread evenly with goat cheese spread. Top goat cheese with chicken and apples on two slices, and place the other two slices of bread on top, goat cheese side down. Place sandwiches in a preheated panini press and cook until bead is crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition: 563 calories, 25.6g fat, 4.3g fiber, 50.3g protein per serving
Cost: $1.83 per serving
Cake, Batter, and Bowl features my original recipes for quick, healthy, and inexpensive weeknight meals and indulgent weekend treats. Enjoy!
My goodness! This too looks soooo delicious. I love the combination of apples with goat cheese, and the bread, of course. Mouth-watering!
Salty, tangy, sweet, sour, savory… this has it all! Goat cheese is the best
I agree with candice: goat cheese is the best!
I love adding fruit to my sandwiches! Looking good!
This panini is full of awesome flavors! I never would have thought to use pumpernickel, but it sounds like an excellent bread choice. I’m heading over to Eralda’s blog to check out your guest post.
my mouth is watering just looking at the picture
Nice play on all the flavors
I love have protein and fruit together, and pumpernickel is such a sweet tasting bread. Way to make a sandwich fun again 
hey you big shot guest poster… just checked out your buddies blog and will be back. You are right, she does terrrific photos (I wish I could get better…sigh)…
and your sammy is terrific!
WOW!! What a well put together sandwich. It sounds incrredibly delicious!!
I was on Eralda’s site earlier and saw your guest post! Love the panini, so good with goat cheese!
I think I ‘d have to substitute the goat cheese for some brie, but this looks totally delicious.
Hope you had a wonderful Turkey Day!
Yummmm. I love pumpernickel panini.
Congrats on your first guest blog! I will have to check it out.
This looks like an ideal fall sandwich. I love the goat cheese and apple combo. What a classic.
Have a safe trip back from Iowa and happy belated T-Day!
the crunchy, sweet apple is the perfect addition to your special sammich. i think pumpernickel was the way to go too.
This combo of ingredients sounds wonderful. Perfect sandwich!
What great flavors! This Panini looks delicious!
I love this sandwich! Goat cheese with tart apples is delicious and one of my fave combos. The pumpernickel was a wise choice; it has a great flavor and the color makes the sandwich even more beautiful! Congrats on your first guest post. I am going to check it out now!
Great sandwich. I would love that right about now!
This looks like the perfect sandwich.
what a pretty,tasty and simple sandwich!
Such a vibrantly colored sandwich! Pumpernickel is my all-time favorite, and with your glorious goat cheese spread??!! Absolute, total perfection!
YUM! This sandwich is the type of thing I love to order when we go to restaurants for a nice lunch! I never make anything like this for myself…I think that might just have to change.
Beautiful picture, by the way!
Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving
Ours was fabulous as well! What is it about cheese and apples that goes together SO well. The bread looks fantastic too.
This sandwich looks so delicious! I love the sweet and savory aspects, and pumpernickel bread is one of my favorites. Your fall/winter panzanella is such a creative spin on a classic summer dish! It’s funny because I was really craving panzanella over Thanksgiving weekend, so your recipe is a great solution
Totally delicious! I really need to replace our old, broken press. I miss paninis!
I love pumpernickel bread! Have you ever made your own? I really wanna give it a shot!
I really love this combo of flavors. My other favorite is subbing green grapes for apples. Yum!!
What a great combo. I never would have thought to put apple on a sammy!
I LOVE goat cheese and like how you made it into a spread :0)
Oooo, haven’t paired fruit with goat cheese yet … so far it’s just been with apples .. taking note of your idea! Thks
Oooo, haven’t paired fruit with goat cheese yet … so far it’s just been with cheddar .. taking note of your idea! Thks
Yum-city. Loved your guest post too. So fun to see you in multiple places!
What a great way to use chicken breast. So nice to see that you had a good time.
Mmmmmmmm. I’ve had a brie and apple panini, but not goat cheese. Must try this!
What an awesome sandwich!! I love goat cheese! And those mushrooms down there look outstanding, how creative! Did you get a new look? Love it!!!
This sandwich sounds like a delicious mix of flavors! The goat cheese and apple are perfect with chicken.
This is my kind of sandwich, Kerstin. Looks absolutely delish.
A very tasty , easy & ooh so good for you sandwich!!
I so love it!!
Thanks, Kerstin!
Thanks everyone! I actually just had another one of these tonight
I love goat cheese, and this sounds like a great combo of flavors!