We’re always looking for creative new panini ideas, and recently our Test Kitchen came up with the perfect way to get some inspiration flowing: a paninipalooza! The cooks set out a spread of proteins, vegetables, spreads and breads and invited all of us to come up and experiment with our own amazing (and occasionally bizarre) combinations.
See some of our best new panini creations below, then tell us in the comments — what does your perfect panini look like? We’ll pick some of our favorite ideas to try in the Test Kitchen!
Veggie:
- Grilled zucchini, caramelized onion, arugula, tomatoes, white cheddar and artichoke spread on whole grain bread
- Sliced apples, Tallegio cheese and honey on whole grain bread
- Roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, caramelized onions, basil, pesto and fresh mozzarella on a hoagie roll
Meat & Poultry:
- Sliced roast beef, horseradish Meyer lemon sauce, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and havarti cheese on sourdough bread
- Thickly sliced turkey, apple, red onion, cranberry-fig spread, shredded lettuce, smoked gouda and whole grain mustard on a round potato roll
- “Pizza Panini” of prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella and pesto on rosemary bread
- “Monte Cristo Panini” of turkey, ham and cheese on white bread, dipped in a mixture of egg and milk before grilling
Cheese:
- Apples, sharp cheddar and arugula on whole grain bread
- Tomato, artichoke spread and havarti cheese on sourdough bread
- Apricots, honey, pistachios and Brie on a Brioche roll
Sweet:
- Bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, apricots, graham cracker spread and cookies & cream spread on white bread
- Cream cheese, strawberries, honey and graham cracker spread on sourdough bread
- Marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, graham cracker spread and cookies & cream spread on a pretzel hoagie roll
- Strawberries, bananas, apricots and graham cracker spread on a bagel
- Bananas, sliced almonds and cookies & cream spread on a hoagie roll
14 comments
What a great way to entertain…..
Set platters of all your favorite fixings and have a Panini-Party!
Add Wine, Beer, whatever you like to drink and have FUN!!!
No pressure and very interactive!!
My family loves my sourdough chicken paninis – Sour dough bread with mayo, grilled chicken (spiced with onion powder, garlic powder and salt), caramelized onion, sun dried tomatoes, and provolone cheese.
Mix some finely minced chipotle in adobo sauce into that mayo, for the heat lovers.
I will for myself (the rest of the family are kinda heat wimps)
Chicken pesto
Grilled Chicken diced, prepared pesto, fresh mozzarella, basil, roma tomatos, either oatmeal or whole grain bread. Also works on ciabatta.
Our German-modified Cuban Sandwich:
Pumpernickle bread, coated thick with yellow mustard. Then, from the bottom up, a sharp Swiss or Gruyere cheese, fresh baked ham sliced 1/8″ or so, thin-sliced smoked turkey, more cheese, thick dill pickle slices (Stackers) to cover, thin sliced salami, repeat ham, repeat cheese, and the second slice of pumpernickle, again slathered with yellow mustard. Don’t hold back on the mustard or the pickles. Needs lots of both to work best. Then butter the outside of both slices of bread. and panini away till it starts to crisp and cheese starts to melt, then flip and repeat. Enjoy!
I make my panini with sourdough, pepperjack cheese and turkey ham. I use olive oil on the outside of the sourdough(which helps the panini get nice and toasted), a little mayo on the inside (just on one side) and guacamole on the other side (just an avacado seasoned with a little garlic salt) put it all together and enjoy.
I usually make the paninis for my nurses during nurses week and they love them. I serve the paninis with fresh veggies and fruits.
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this is great
One of my favorite savory panini press combinations is Antipasto Panini – sopressata, prosciutto, roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, fresh mozzarella and olive tapenade on ciabatta. For sweet: homemade ice cream cones!
Proscuitto, canteloupe and fresh mozzarella with arugula that has been dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.
Hah that should have said looong time…ah autocorrect
Honeycup mustard, black forest ham, brie, fresh spinach and sautéed mushrooms(nothing but sliced mushrooms cooked down in a pan).Stack it up and grill…been my favorite for a looking time.
How about a hummus with grilled mushrooms and onions?