Panini Maker Recipes

Panini maker recipes are those recipes that end up best when the person making panini uses a panini maker. Of course you never really have to use a panini maker to make panini; but many of these lovely dishes are at their easiest – and best – when a panini maker is used to cook them. Here are some examples.

A favorite panini of ours is one that incorporates Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, smoked ham, and garden-fresh basil leaves. Preheat your panini maker and grease it up a little bit with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Mix a little mayonnaise and some grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl until well blended. Prepare halves of your desired sort of bread, such as ciabatta, sourdough or whole-wheat. Spread the bottom half with the Parmesan-mayo mixture. Top this mixture with slices of smoked ham, the Swiss cheese, and your basil leaves, and seal the panini with the top halves of bread. You may choose to slather the outsides of the panini with a little butter if you like. When done, grill the panini in your panini maker until the bread is toasted to your liking and the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Another good example of panini maker recipes that we love is a simple Italian grilled cheese panini that bears some resemblance to the equally famous Monte Cristo sandwich. Preheat your panini maker and, once again, grease it with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Select your bread, and choose which half, or halves, are to become the bottom half or halves. Spread the bottom halves with a little pesto for added flavor. Thinly slice Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses; slice a ripe tomato (heirloom or beefsteak) thinly. In a medium-deep bowl, beat two eggs gently just until mixed; add half a cup of whole milk and a little black pepper and salt. Prepare another plate of flour. Dip the prepared panini first into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture. Grill in the hot panini maker until nicely browned and the cheese is melted.

The advantage conferred by panini makers – which is why some panini maker recipes specifically call for panini to be cooked in panini makers – is that they save a great deal of time and effort by allowing both sides of panini cooked in them to be cooked at once. By cooking your panini in a panini maker, you save yourself a little more time when preparing these deliciously simple dishes – time you can spend enjoying them!