Is it just me or are sandwiches the perfect food? And hot sandwiches in the cool autumn and winter months can really hit the spot. This is why I love our panini grill. Panini (Italian for sandwiches) make a hearty, delicious, and quick dinner that’s sure to please.
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I received my first panini grill in college as a holiday gift from my parents. (I had been working in a coffee shop and probably mentioned how much I loved theirs.) It was a small, simple one by Cuisinart, but it fit my needs perfectly. I had it for years and when it went kaput, my husband and I upgraded to one like the coffee shop’s — a commercial model by Waring.
Pro Tips
Before I share our favorite sandwich combos with you, there are a couple of things that every panini grill user should know:
A) Always heat the inside of the sandwich.
Prop the grill open and toast it open face for a bit before closing and pressing your sandwich. This ensures that the interior is thoroughly heated, the cheese is extra gooey, and that your sandwich will be extra delicious.
B) Properly layer your ingredients.
This has two sub-points:
- Keep ingredients that need to cook on top (like mushrooms).
- Make sure that cheese will melt onto bread at some point (i.e. that it glues ingredients in place before flipping one half onto the other).
C) Use the right bread.
Use a hearty bread, pita, or piece of naan. The fluffy stuff in your grocer’s bread aisle will work in a pinch, but a thicker bread will create a better cheese/veggie/bread ratio and a more satisfying sandwich. I’m a big fan of keeping take ‘n’ bake bread in my freezer. Aldi’s sells it at great prices, so it’s affordable to keep in stock.
D) Panini grills are great for other things, too.
We pretty much use our panini grill like a toaster oven. It’s great for reheating pizza, fries, burgers, and for cooking frozen foods. It provides even heat and a crisp edge, unlike a microwave.
Our Favorite Flavor Combos
The following sandwiches are some of our household’s favorites:
- Arugula, mushrooms, and fresh mozzarella
- Caprese (ie. tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella with olive oil)
- Broccoli, muenster, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and onion (my personal favorite!)
- Broccoli, cheddar, cream cheese, mushroom, and onion
- Brie and pear/apple with arugula
- Seitan, cheddar, BBQ sauce, and onion
- Mushroom, onion, swiss, and arugula lightly sprinkled with garlic powder.
- Cream cheese, jam, nutella
- Soy chorizo, sweet peppers, onion, tomato, cheddar, and pepper jack.
Additionally, we frequently make Reubens and Philly “Steak” (mushroom) sandwiches. However, these require a little cooking pre-grill.
Do you have a panini grill? What’s your favorite flavor combo?
— Funky Crunchy Mama
