Buffalo Chicken Panini with Blue Cheese and Celery

This is a tribute to Buffalo's favorite chicken wing recipe. If you don't have any leftover barbecued chicken, plain cooked chicken will do, especially when tossed with spicy barbecue sauce.

Yield:

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Ingredients

1. 1-1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) shredded barbecued chicken
2. 3 Tbs. barbecue sauce (optional)
3. 1/4 cup mayonnaise
4. 2 Tbs. sour cream
5. 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
6. 1 scallion (white and light green parts), finely chopped
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8. 2 Italian or ciabatta rolls
9. 1 celery stalk, trimmed, tough outer strings peeled away, and thinly sliced

Directions

1. Heat a panini or sandwich press according to the manufacturer's instructions. Combine the chicken and barbecue sauce, if using, in a small bowl and stir to coat.
2. Make the blue cheese dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, and scallion in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the rolls in half and spread some blue cheese dressing on the inside of each roll. Arrange the sliced celery on the bottom halves of the rolls. Pile the chicken on top of the celery. Top each sandwich with the top half of the roll.
4. Put the sandwiches on the press, pull the top down, and cook until they are brown and crisp, 4 to 7 minutes, depending on how hot your machine is. Carefully remove from the press and serve immediately.

Notes