chicken apricot panini... 30 minutes

the goods:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to create four thin cutlets

3 tablespoons canola oil

6 tablespoons butter

12 fresh sage leaves

1/4 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup mayonnaise

8 slices sourdough bread

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip the breasts and continue cooking until cooked throughout. Set aside. Add the sage leaves to the hot oil. Flip them once and remove from skillet when it looks like they are becoming crisp. In a small bowl, sir together the mayonnaise and apricot preserves until combined.

To build each sandwich, spoon a generous portion of the spread on each slice of bread. Top with red onion, chicken, sage leaves, and a slice of cheese. Top with another slice of bread (with spread). Butter the outside of the sandwich on both sides. Grill the sandwiches in a panini press. If you are like me and don't own a panini press, cook sandwiches in a grill pan with a heavy skillet placed on top.