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!

Start Slideshow

1 of 12

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. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

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.

3 of 12

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.

Advertisement

4 of 12

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.

5 of 12

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.

 

6 of 12

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

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.

8 of 12

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.

9 of 12

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

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.

11 of 12

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.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Popular in food

All Topics in food

Advertisement