When you want a fancier version of grilled cheese go for a panini! A panini is a warm, pressed sandwich on an Italian bread that’s been toasted or grilled. If you want crunch this is for you! There are many different panini recipes out there but when I want one, I always come back to this recipe.
What’s in this panini?
- Dairy Free Basil Walnut Pesto
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Strips
- Roasted Turkey deli slices, sliced thin
- Violife Provolone Cheese slices
- Ciabatta Rolls
What are the best breads to use for paninis?
Ciabatta, Focaccia, and Baguettes are best. You need hearty breads that can withstand grilling.
Do you butter the bread before grilling the panini?
You can lightly butter the bread or brush a little oil if you would like. I lightly to brush my cast iron grill pan with canola oil and that seems to be enough to get good grill marks without adding too many unnecessary calories. But this is your panini, so butter it up if you want!
How to press a panini without a panini press?
Place a heavy pan on top of the panini to weigh it down. Add some canned food inside the pan to evenly distribute the weight. Once golden brown on the bottom, flip and repeat the process.
How to make this recipe
- Set a cast iron grill pan to medium-low heat.
- Take one split roll, open it and spread about 1 tablespoon of pesto on the inside of the top half of the roll, all the way to the edges. Then spread another tablespoon of pesto on the bottom half. On the bottom half, place roasted red pepper strips in an even layer.
3. Now, place 3 slices of roasted turkey, gently folding them to create yummy turkey layers.
4. Add the provolone cheese and finish with the top half of the roll.
5. Repeat the process to create 3 more paninis.
6. Lightly brush a cast iron grill pan with oil. When oil shimmers add paninis. You may need to work in batches depending on your pan size.
7. Place a heavy pan on top to press down the panini. I like to use a cast iron skillet or another gridle pan to weigh it down as it cooks. You can place a few cans of food in the pan to evenly distribute the weight on the panini. Stay close by if you do to make sure that the pan doesn’t tip over.
8. Cook for 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown then flip and repeat for another 5 minutes. Paninis are down when both sides are golden brown and cheese has softened. (*see Notes)
Tah dah! Now get ready to bite into this crunchy masterpiece!
Turkey Pesto & Roasted Red Pepper Panini
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Grill Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 Heavy Pan to press panini with
Ingredients
- 4 Ciabatta Rolls sliced horizontally
- 12 Roasted Turkey slices sliced thin
- Jarred Roasted Red Bell Pepper Strips
- 4 Violife Smoked Provolone slices or dairy free cheese of choice
- ½ cup Dairy Free Pesto get my Basil Walnut Pesto recipe! See Notes
- Canola Oil as needed
Instructions
- Set a cast iron grill pan to medium low heat.
- Take one split roll, open it and spread about 1 tablespoon of pesto on the inside of the top half of the roll, all the way to the edges. Then spread another tablespoon of pesto on the bottom half. On the bottom half, place roasted red pepper strips in an even layer.
- Now, place 3 slices of roasted turkey, gently folding them to create layers of yummy turkey.
- Add the provolone cheese and finish with the top half of the roll.
- Repeat the process to create 3 more paninis.
- Lightly brush a cast iron grill pan with oil. When oil shimmers add paninis. You may need to work in batches depending on your pan size. Place a heavy pan on top to press down the panini. I like to use a cast iron skillet or another gridle pan to weigh it down as it cooks. You can place a few cans of food in the pan to evenly distribute the weight on the panini. Stay close by if you do to make the pan stays in place.
- Cook for 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown then flip and repeat for another 5 minutes. Paninis are down when both sides are golden brown and cheese has softened. (*see Notes)
Notes
- My Basil Walnut Pesto recipe!
- This panini is great on its own but even better dunked into a soup!
