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Making a Turkey Pesto Panini is a great way to change up your lunch game or prepare an easy weeknight dinner. This recipe pairs flavorful pesto with juicy slices of turkey and melty provolone cheese. The result is a delicious, easy-to-make sandwich that leaves you satisfied without being overstuffed!
Turn this turkey panini into a meal alongside broccoli salad with craisins and some simple potato chips. And if you love sandwich recipes, also try my ultimate grilled cheese!!
Why you'll love this pesto turkey panini recipe
Four simple ingredients are all you need to make a flavor packed turkey panini. It's the perfect meal for busy nights when you've been on the go, or when you're serving dinner on the tailgate of a truck!
This easy recipe is one of my quick meal go-to's and these turkey panini are about as simple as you can get.
Even better, they can be grilled ahead of time, eaten at room temperature and they'll beat a boring sandwich any day of the week.
When I set out making this recipe, it was sheer luck that I had all the ingredients on hand. Only later did people tell me it reminded them of Starbucks turkey pesto panini.
One difference between mine and Starbuck's is that theirs uses roasted red peppers. I could use them too, but then one of my farmers won't touch the sandwich.
So I leave 'em off....
And the best part is you don't have to leave home for this turkey pesto sandwich and no fancy panini maker is required!
Only four ingredients required to make this sandwich
store-bought pesto - Pesto is a mixture of olive oil, pine nuts, and usually basil. If you want to make homemade pesto, go for it. I'm totally fine with the store bought version. Tip: use your leftover pesto to make this caprese orzo salad with pesto.
ciabatta rolls - these are usually square rolls at my grocery store . You can use slices of bread, French rolls, or whatever you like here.
Deli turkey - if you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey leftovers or even leftover chicken breast, feel free to substitute it here.
provolone cheese - If you’re not a fan of provolone, use whatever cheese you like on your panini sandwich - cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, monterey jack cheese.
You get the idea. In my world all cheese is good cheese!
Transform simple ingredients into a flavor-packed turkey and pesto panini!
4.43 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutesmins
Cook Time 10 minutesmins
Total Time 15 minutesmins
Course Sandwich Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 4servings
Calories 493kcal
Ingredients
4ciabatta rolls
4Tablespoons.store bought basil pesto
4slicesprovolone cheese
¾pounddeli turkey breastsliced
Instructions
Preheat grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Spread about a tablespoon pesto on the inside of one-half of your roll. Add deli turkey, then a slice of cheese.
Top with the other roll half and cook in grill pan, using a weight or another pan to add some weight to smush the bread slices (that's the technical term, right?)
Cook sandwiches until cheese begins to melt and outside begins to become a light golden brown crusty. Cut into half and serve.
Notes
These can be preassembled and refrigerated ahead of time.
A panini maker isn't needed; you can make these in a skillet or cast iron pan. Place another pan and a heavy canned item on top to compress the sandwich.
Got a crowd coming over? Prepare the panini ahead of time and grill them right before you're ready to serve. If you must reheat panini, a toaster oven is best – about 8-10 minutes at 275 degrees.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Place sandwich onto the hot pan. Place another heavy pan onto the sandwich, then add two heavy cans to the top pan. Press down on the cans to compress the sandwich.
Pros: Turkey is low in fat and lower in calories than many other meats. Three ounces has about 90 calories and three grams of fat. It provides a variety of B-vitamins and the antioxidant selenium.
These include ciabatta, focaccia, rye, French, and sourdough. But no matter which bread you use, your slices should always be about a ½-inch thick. If you use slices that are thicker than that, you'll taste way too much bread when you bite into your panini.
It's the grilling! Grilled bread is the hallmark of panini – make the most of it by brushing olive oil or melted butter on top for a crostini-like crunch. Or, to save a few calories, Columbus Foodie recommends spraying butter flavored cooking spray, another great idea.
But when it comes to panini, mayo is simply better than softened butter. For one, there's no putzing around while the butter softens. And two, the browning is so much better.
One of the hallmarks of a great panini is the signature crispy crunch of the bread when you bite in. In order to make sure that you get the crunch you crave, brush olive oil or butter on the outside before toasting. That will help to brown and harden the bread for a delicious bite.
While there is nothing wrong with putting aluminium foil in a sandwich press, we've found that it can stick to certain breads. If you want to protect the plates and make the cleaning job easier, we recommend using baking paper instead.
Put your sandwich in the skillet and then place the second skillet on top of the sandwich, pushing it down a bit. Then, place a heat-safe weight, like a filled tea kettle or saucepan, on top of the second skillet to apply pressure. Let the sandwich cook for about 4 minutes, or until it's golden brown and toasty.
Just use parchment paper! Wrap your sandwich in parchment paper when using a panini press to keep everything neatly inside and avoid messy cleanup. And when using a tortilla press, parchment paper will ensure your dough doesn't stick, giving you the best results every time!
A fantastic sandwich with sliced turkey, guacamole, toasted whole wheat bread, fresh tomato, lettuce, bean sprouts, yellow mustard and light mayo. For cheese lovers, Colby-Jack makes a great addition as well.
Your body can't store protein, so you need to consume it every day. As long as you don't eat too much turkey, it is a healthy way to get the protein you need. It's also a good source of beneficial vitamins and minerals like magnesium and niacin.
The first step in determining whether your lunch meat has spoiled is to examine its color. Has it changed in any way? If the meat has taken on a pale gray, brown, or yellow hue, it's probably not safe to eat. It's also time to toss it if it's grown any mold.
It is almost like the American grilled cheese, but has much more inside. A panini press is used to mash the bread flat so that it stays thin when serving. Any type of meat or vegetable can be used in a panini. They are usually made with Italian bread or sourdough, but you can use any bread that you prefer.
A panini is a grilled sandwich with Italian bread, such as ciabatta. It's usually served warm, filled with deli meats and cheeses, and cut horizontally. Paninis are notable for their crispy exteriors, warm interiors, and grill marks.
If your sandwich includes cooked ingredients, let them cool completely before assembling your sandwich. Warm ingredients tend to give off condensation (which can make bread soggy), so cold or room-temperature ingredients are your best bet for sandwiches that will keep.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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