Turkey Panini
WHAT IS A PANINI?
Ideally, you will want to use a panini press for this grilled sandwich. Panini’s are Italian toasted sandwiches, that are made in a panini press. Each side of the press is heated, and you push it down to get all of those ingredients melted together – it’s weighted so you get beautifully flat sandwiches!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A TURKEY PANINI
To start, set out the ingredients to include in your turkey panini. There’s obviously going to be turkey and cheese and bread. Try a rustic bread like thick sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta or a whole grain baguette. You want to avoid light and airy breads because they don’t grill as easily and sometimes get flat or soggy.
I like to keep it simple with those ingredients and add some leftover cranberry sauce and fresh thyme. For the sandwich, I recommend using spray olive oil or mayonnaise to coat both sides of the sandwich. I used mayonnaise here because I like the taste of it with the turkey.
HOW TO MAKE A TURKEY PANINI
Start by laying the bread down on a flat surface and spread mayonnaise on both pieces of bread. Then, it’s time to layer the sandwich. Try to do a mix of white meat and dark meat in the turkey panini. The white meat is leaner but the dark meat is juicer. Be sure to load it with fresh thyme because it just screams thanksgiving, and brings out all the flavors of the ingredients.
Continue assembling the sandwich and add any other ingredients you’d like. You can throw in some stuffing, some vegetables like brussels sprouts, or even some mashed potatoes. I don’t bother adding any gravy, sauce or dressing. There’s usually some leftover gravy right on the turkey breast from the way I store it. And the mayo and cheese give the panini plenty of sauciness! If you are going to add anything, I would recommend just a little extra gravy. Stay away from mustard which can really overpower the taste of the turkey panini.
Once everything is layered on, place the cheese last, carefully close the sandwich and place it on the panini maker. If you don’t have a panini grill, you can heat a skillet large enough to fit the sliced bread. No need to spray the skillet since we already have mayonnaise (or olive oil) right on the outside of the sandwich. You’ll want to cook the turkey sandwich for 2 minutes per side, gently pressing down on top of the sandwich with a spatula as you cook. This will ensure even cooking.
PERFECTLY MELTY TURKEY PANINI
You’ll know it’s cooked when it’s golden brown and the cheese is melted. This turkey panini will satisfy your cravings for leftover turkey, solve any problems for what to do with leftover turkey and make your belly so happy. It has a perfectly golden crispy crust, juicy tender turkey on the inside and a mix of salty provolone cheese with sweet and tart cranberry sauce that makes for a tasty easy meal after a big holiday feast.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST TURKEY PANINI
- Sourdough bread makes the best sandwiches in my opinion!
- Spread mayo on both sides of the bread so it doesn’t stick to the panini maker.
- The panini make must be hot before you put the sandwich in it.
- If you don’t have a panini press, you can also make this in a skillet on the stovetop.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Personally, I really like to use thick sourdough to make panini, but any thick bread will work well. Ciabatta, baguette and focaccia are all excellent choices!
I prefer eating panini sandwiches straight off of the press while the cheese is hot and melted. You can of course eat them cold as well if you like.
f you do have leftovers, they will keep in air tight container in the fridge for about a day. To reheat them, you can put them in a toaster oven or oven for a couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.
