A good sandwich is a thing of beauty — a perfect blend of flavors and textures bookended by well-made bread. But a panini press takes a good thing and makes it great. The heat from a panini press gently warms the inside of a sandwich while toasting the outside bread to a perfect golden brown.

Best of all, you don’t need a sandwich press to make a panini — you can easily weigh down your sandwich in any regular stovetop pan. Just put another sauté pan, a cast iron skillet or a braising pot on top of the sandwich and — presto — instant panini press. (Watch your panini closely, of course: “golden brown” can become “burned” in mere seconds.)

The concept of paninis may have originated in Italy, but there’s no need to stick to traditional Italian ingredients when you’re brainstorming recipe ideas. While Provolone, salami and sun-dried tomatoes make a killer sandwich, so does roast beef with mayo and horseradish. Don’t be afraid to try new combinations — if it’s good cold, chances are it’ll sing if you throw it in a panini press.

Chicken Caesar Panini

Try your salad on a sandwich. The crisp bread plays the role of croutons here.

Italian Roast Beef Panini

Craving a twist on a roast beef sandwich? Treat yourself to this Italian panini: the mild Fontina cheese melts into a pool of gooey deliciousness, and a zesty garlic mayo brings out the flavor of the beef.

Veggie Panini

You don’t need meat to make a delicious sandwich. This Mediterranean-style panini gets plenty of flavor from zucchini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and melted mozzarella cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Panini with Blue Cheese and Celery

This is pure Buffalo goodness on bread. Every flavor in a classic plate of wings is present in this tasty sandwich.

“Healthified” Turkey-Artichoke Panini

Yes, it’s good for you, but this “healthified” sandwich is still delicious. Artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and Italian cheese keep this from being just an ordinary turkey sandwich.

Chocolate Panini

A panini for dessert? You bet. Here, the semisweet chocolate melts into a molten pool inside sweet challah bread.

Make a good sandwich into a great sandwich: check out all our panini recipes!

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Categories: Dinner Tonight | Tags: Italian Sandwich, Lunch, Lunch Sandwiches, Panini Bread, Panini Sandwiches
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