Review: Stouffer's Grilled Chicken Italian Panini

I don't have a corner bistro in my neighborhood. At least I don't believe so. Let's see... there's a Mexican supermarket, a liquor store and one really seedy car dealership. Yep, no dice. So when I want the flavor of a corner bistro I head to the supermarket and grab some Stouffer's from the freezer section. Of course.

When it comes to sandwiches I'm more of a "let's hit up Subway and grab some $5 footlongs" kind of guy. But then again anything with bread, meat and cheese makes me happy. Especially when it's hot, so I was more than happy to try Stouffer's Grilled Chicken Italian Panini.

Here are the CliffsNote cooking instructions:

1) Open film pouch to remove plastic from panini halves and REVOLUTIONARY GRILLING® Tray.

2) Flip the box upside down to create a platform. Place panini halves and tray on top.

3) Align panini halves along the vertical indent in the REVOLUTIONARY GRILLING® Tray. Cook on high for around 3 minutes. Let stand 30 seconds.

In fact, let it stand longer than that. Panini will be hot! The RG®T is nothing more than a circular silver disk (like the kind included with most frozen pizzas) with indentations to create grill marks. So... not so revolutionary Stouffer's. But it does a swell job of grilling.

The sandwich comes on Italian white bread. I'm not sure what the difference between Italian white bread and regular white bread is. Possibly the fact it's made from a combination wheat, barley and sour dough flour that is then formed into two thick, chewy and buttery slices. Definitely keep napkins on standby.

This panini is loaded with ingredients, starting with grilled white meat chicken. The pieces have a good taste despite being a bit on the dry side. Melted provolone cheese, grilled onions, green peppers and red peppers round out the toppings. The cheese literally is the glue that keeps the band together. No Yokos in the group. All in all it's a satisfying blend even though it is a bit on the mild stuff. Nothing here really pops the taste buds, which isn't the worst thing for a hot sandwich. But usually when I think of Italian cuisine bold flavors come to mind.

In this grilled panini is an ingredient I've never heard of: vesuvio sauce. It's made from vesuvio seasoning (that helps), vinegar, sugar, garlic, spices and olive oil. I'm guessing it's what really makes this dish Italian. Unfortunately the vesuvio sauce gets buried beneath all the other food.

Click here for the nutrition facts. Grilled Chicken Italian Panini is high in fat and sodium (at least 25% for both). It does provide a smattering of fiber, vitamins of minerals in addition to providing 20 grams of protein.

Stouffer's slogan is "every dinner should feel this good." Grilled Chicken Italian Panini is really greasy and could use some additional kick, so it feels merely all right. It certainly is no James Brown.