Oh-So-Good Panini Recipes

By Southern Living
Photo: Iain Bagwell

Sometimes a good panini sandwich is just the solution to your ailment—a long day, an empty stomach, a pantry full of seemingly random options. Nothing brings together sandwich ingredients quite like a panini. They’re hot, gooey, and always filling. So for those evenings where you’ve got a hankering for something just slightly more elevated than your basic sub (but just as easy!), we’ve gathered our favorite panini recipes that will show you how to make a panini you’ll be craving over and over again. Options like a Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini are super simple, yet super impressive. Baby PB&J Bagel Sandwiches are sure to please youngsters (okay, big kids too). Our Salty-Sweet Bacon Panini marries drool-worthy ingredients like bacon, sweet apple butter, and melty Brie on raisin-walnut bread, making it the ultimate grilled Sammy. We think any of these hearty hot sandwiches are perfect for lunch, dinner, or anytime—so get grilling!

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Chicken and Fontina Panini

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Chicken and Fontina Panini

Crusty on the outside, gooey on the inside, this sandwich requires little effort and makes a satisfying lunch or light dinner. You can make hot sandwiches with two heavy cast-iron skillets—no panini press required. While you're cooking a sandwich in one skillet, heat the second one on a separate burner. Once hot, place the second skillet on top of the sandwich for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat on the flip side, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes more. 

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Smoky Chicken Panini with Basil Mayo

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Smoky Chicken Panini with Basil Mayo

Smoky Gouda cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and baby spinach join grilled chicken breasts in this panini that's slathered with fresh Basil Mayo.

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Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini

Recipe: Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini

Strawberries and basil give each bite of this savory cheese-filled sandwich a garden-fresh taste. Red pepper jelly adds a hint of heat.

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Country Ham-and-Peach Panini

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Country Ham-and-Peach Panini

For these sandwiches, it's best to use very thinly sliced ham, not thick ham steaks. Ask your deli to slice it, or look for a packet of center- and end-cut slices, which tend to be smaller.

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Hot Brown Panini

Recipe: Hot Brown Panini

Hot Brown Panini combines turkey, bacon, tomato, and Swiss cheese in a pressed sandwich with White Cheese Sauce.

 

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Baby PB&J Bagel Sandwiches

Recipe: Baby PB&J Bagel Sandwiches 

Who says PB&J has to be cold from a lunch box? Try this warm version with your choice of jelly, and you can even add apple slices for crunch.

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Fruit-and-Nut Sliders

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Fruit-and-Nut Sliders

These bite-size melt-in-your-mouth sliders hit the spot for easy dining. You'll love the sharp white Cheddar, apple slices, and pecans.

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Salty-Sweet Bacon Panini

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Salty-Sweet Bacon Panini

Melt-in-your-mouth Salty-Sweet Bacon Panini goes over the top with the paring of salty bacon and sweet apple butter with melty Brie on top of raisin-walnut bread.

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Caramelized Onion Bliss

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Caramelized Onion Bliss

We take sandwiches up a notch with our Caramelized Onion Bliss. Blue cheese, caramlized onions, and sauteed pears combine inside challah bread and are cooked in a panini press.

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Fancy Ham and Cheese

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Fancy Ham and Cheese

We raise the bar with our Fancy Ham and Cheese sandwiches adding Gruyere cheese, dried apricot halves, and toasted pistachios.

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Creamy Dill and Salmon Bites

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Creamy Dill and Salmon Bites

Creamy goat cheese with smoked salmon is layered on hearty white bread that has been brushed with a dill butter to complete these flavorful Creamy Dill and Salmon Bites.

Wine Suggestion: "The obvious choice here is Sauvignon Blanc, such as Neil Ellis ($14) or Southern Right ($13). The smoked salmon element opens the door to a top-flite Pinot Grigio, such as Jermann ($22)." —Richard Robinson, Wine Director, The Wine Shop at Western Supermarket, Mountain Brook, Alabama.

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