Best Ham And Cheese Panini Recipes

HAM-AND-CHEESE PANINI

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat; add shallots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and continue cooking until onions are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard on one side of a slice of bread. Top with a slice of cheese, 2 ounces ham, 1/4 of the shallot mixture, and another slice of cheese. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard on a second slice of bread and place mustard side down on top of cheese to form a sandwich. Repeat process three times with remaining mustard, bread, cheese, ham, and shallots.
• Brush top and bottom of each sandwich with olive oil. Place in a panini grill and press until bread is crisp and brown, and cheese has melted slightly, 9 to 10 minutes. If using a grill pan, preheat over medium-high heat. Place a heavy pan on top of sandwiches and press down. Cook, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

HAM AND CHEESE PRETZEL PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat (325 to 375 degrees F (160 to 190 degrees C). Lightly oil grill grate.
• Divide ham and cheese among 8 pretzels arranged salt-sides down on a baking sheet. Top with remaining pretzels, salt-sides up.
• Transfer pretzel panini to grill and top with a heavy oven-safe skillet or bricks wrapped in foil to weigh them down. Close lid; grill panini until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

SMOKED HAM, ROASTED RADICCHIO, AND CHEESE PANINI

Steps:

• Roast the radicchio:
• Heat the oven to 350°F. Lay the wedges of radicchio on a small sheet pan and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pan with aluminum foil. (Covering the pan allows the radicchio to steam and roast at the same time.) Cook until very tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. (The radicchio can be roasted a day ahead.)
• Grill the panini:
• Heat a panini or sandwich grill until hot (400°F to 450°F). If you don't have a panini grill, heat a grill pan or ¬cast-¬iron pan over ¬medium--low heat. Pat the radicchio dry, if need be, and cut away any tough core. Make two sandwiches, layering the ham, cheese, and radicchio. (You may not use all of the radicchio.)
• Brush the outsides of the sandwiches with olive oil and grill in the press for 9 to 10 minutes; you want to crisp and brown the bread and melt the cheese a bit, but the meat need not be excessively hot. If using a pan, weight the sandwiches down with another heavy pan set on top. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, watching them carefully and adjusting the heat as needed. Cut and serve.

SMOKED HAM AND TELEME CHEESE PANINI

Steps:

• Butter 1 side of each bread slice, then put 4 slices, buttered side down, on a work surface. Top the bread slices with the smoked ham, then the teleme cheese, distributing it evenly. Top each with a second slice of bread, buttered side up. Heat a panini pan/sandwich griller until hot. Heat the sandwich in the griller, with a weight on top to keep as flat as possible. Cook until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes, Transfer the sandwiches to a work surface and remove the top slice of bread from each sandwich. Spread the underside of those slices with mustard, and add roasted peppers, if desired. Replace the top slice of bread, cut the sandwiches in half, and serve immediately.

HAM, CHEESE AND FRIED EGG PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat an electric panini press on the "panini" setting according to the manufacturer's instructions. In a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 1 tsp. vegetable oil. Working in batches, brown the ham slices, turning once, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate. Lay the baguette pieces, cut side up, on a work surface. Sprinkle about 1 oz. cheese on each bottom half and arrange the ham on top, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Spread 2 tsp. mustard on the top half of each baguette, then cover each sandwich with a top half. Place 2 sandwiches on the preheated panini press, close the lid, and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the shallot, honey and vinegar. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Add the salad greens and toss to coat well. In a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the 1 Tbs. vegetable oil. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until the whites turn opaque, about 1 minute. Gently turn the eggs over and cook for 1 minute more. Open the sandwiches and top each with 1 egg. Sprinkle with the chives. Arrange the dressed salad greens on top, dividing evenly. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately. Serves 4.

HAM AND CHEESE PANINI

Steps:

• Slice the bread loaf in half lengthwise; scoop out the bread to remove the soft inner portion and discard.
• Slice the loaf crosswise into 4 equal-size pieces.
• Drizzle the inside of each roll with 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.
• Layer 3 radicchio leaves, 4 basil leaves, 1/4 of the prosciutto, and 1 slice provolone cheese in each roll.
• Sprinkle with the pepper; close the rolls and brush each panini with 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil.
• Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet or other skillet over med-high heat and spray with the cooking spray.
• Place 2 sandwiches in the skillet and weigh them down with another skillet or panini weight.
• Toast until the cheese begins to melt and the bread is browned and toasted on the edges, 3-4 minutes.
• Flip the sandwiches and toast for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from pan and slice in half; repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches.