I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We are officially in the week between Christmas and New Years where no one knows the day or the week or date. The biggest debate I have seen on social media is when people take down their Christmas decorations. My decorations came down the day after Christmas. This is not always the case, but I just happened to have the time so I took them all down. There is just something about cleaning/purging that helps clear my mind… and build up my appetite.
Anyway, can we talk about this melted cheese oozing out of the side of this panini? I mean it looks fake but it is 100% real. This Pepper Jelly Turkey Panini is lit! It’s the perfect warmed sandwich full of turkey, cheese, and spinach with pepper jelly on each slice of bread.
A lot of people like to use Mayo on sandwiches, but since I was already using two slices of bread, I couldn’t quite justify mayo as well so I mixed a little Greek Yogurt together with pepper jelly. The sweet and tanginess of this sauce makes this panini SO SO SO GOOD!!!
What is a Panini?
Paninis are a warm toasted sandwich traditionally made with Italian bread. Fill with your favorite meats and cheeses. You could use turkey, ham, salami, etc. Add some melty cheeses and your favorite sandwich fixings. The possibilities are endless.
What equipment do you need for this panini?
I used a panini press, but you could also use a grill pan with the ridges to achieve the grill mark look on the bread. If you don’t have either of those pieces of equipment, just make a good ole grilled cheese-like sandwich and spray each side filling halfway so each side gets evenly toasted.
What is Pepper Jelly?
Pepper Jelly is a preserve-like mixture made with peppers. It is the texture of jelly, but both sweet and hot from the peppers. I bought this specific hot & sweet pepper jelly from Trader Joe’s but many stores carry pepper jelly. It is also good mixed with cream cheese and served with crackers.
Pepper jelly also makes for a great glaze for meats such as pork and ham. Try it!
What type of bread is best for this panini?
I don’t think there is any right rhyme or reason to the right bread, but I believe that thicker slices work best. You’ll want to use something that doesn’t get smashed easily otherwise the bread will flatten like a pancake. No one wants a pepper jelly pancake for dinner! 😉
For this sandwich I used Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane bread. Any type of Italian bread such as sourdough, focaccia, or ciabatta would work well too. They are usually a heartier bread and hold up better while grilling/toasting.
Are you team diagonal cut or team cut in half? I personally love a good diagonal cut sandwich, but in terms of photographing, the cheese just gets nice and melty with a straight cut. So I guess it depends if I’m eating or photographing!
Those grill marks though!!!!
You could serve this panini with banana peppers or pepperoncinis for some crunch -or- add an extra side of Greek yogurt pepper jelly sauce for dipping!
Pepper Jelly Turkey Panini
Equipment
- Panini Press or Grill Pan
Ingredients
- 2 slices Italian bread
- ½ tbsp non fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp hot & sweet pepper jelly divided in half
- reduced sodium turkey breast sliced
- 1 slice aged white cheddar cheese
- spinach
Instructions
- Mix together ½ tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt with ½ tbsp hot pepper jelly. Smear on one slice of bread. Spread remaining ½ tbsp hot pepper jelly on other slice.
- Add once slice of turkey breast on each slice of bread. Add spinach, top with cheese. Flip other slice of bread on top.
- Spray both sides of the bread and place on hot pan. Cook ~4 minutes or approximately 2 minutes on each side until bread is golden brown with grill marks.
I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made! And don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram if you take any pictures!
[…] Pepper Jelly Turkey Panini — Right Back Spatula […]