Review: Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini

Here's a good meal to consider buying next time you're in the grocer's frozen section and not sure what to buy for lunch - Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini. The Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini comes as a square about six inches in diameter that is scored for easy sharing with somebody else, too. One half of the whole panini is considered a serving, but I would probably have both halves in one meal if I really wanted to enjoy a full lunch.

Preparation

The Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini can be cooked in either a microwave or conventional oven.

If you're cooking your Hot Pockets panini in your microwave, be sure to use the crisping sleeve that comes packaged with your panini. Place the panini in your crisping sleeve, and then place the sleeve onto a paper plate. Heat in your microwave on High for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. After, you should let the Hot Pockets panini stand for about 2 minutes before enjoying it.

If you're cooking your Hot Pockets panini in your conventional oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees first. Once your oven is heated, place the panini on a cookie sheet, but DON'T use the crisping sleeve. Let your Hot Pockets panini bake for 30 minutes before eating.

Flavor

Overall, the Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini is good. The flavor of the chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and the focaccia bread is delicious. The taste of the filling in the panini reminded me a bit of a typical frozen pizza. However, the chicken and the olive oil focaccia bread offered quite a bit more overall flavor and pizazz than I would expect from a typical frozen pizza.

Nutrition

Remember that one serving of the Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini is half of the whole panini. So when reading the nutrition facts below, keep in mind that you should double these numbers if you decide to eat the entire panini as it comes in the Hot Pockets box.

Calories 220
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 7 grams
Saturated Fat 2.5 grams
Trans Fat 0 grams
Cholesterol 35 mg
Sodium 550 mg
Total Carbohydrates 28 grams
Dietary Fiber 2 grams
Sugars 4 grams
Protein 10 grams
Vitamin A 6% of Daily recommended intake
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 20%
Iron 10%

I bought the Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini at a Central Florida Sweetbay Supermarket for $2.99 in January 2010.

Resources

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Hot Pockets Bruschetta Chicken Panini carton