Pepperoni Pizza Panini
I’m not sure about you all, but I have been going super simple on dinners and lunches. Having to adjust to working at home and having to do homeschooling for Maddie is a lot and dinner has been the last thing I’ve been thinking about!
I was searching the fridge recently and found some mozzarella cheese that I needed to use up and some turkey pepperoni. I also always have tomato sauce in the freezer in various size containers and found a smaller one to use up. Pizza Paninis it was!
You just need five simple ingredients for these: sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, bread, and a pat of butter. These sandwiches are super delicious and comforting and offer a much easier way to satisfy your pizza cravings without having to make dough!
These sandwiches are so quick to make. Serve them up with a salad or alongside some soup for a more complete meal!
I prefer to use fresh sliced mozzarella for this recipe. It melts so much better than pre-sliced cheese. The trick is to cut it thin enough so you aren’t biting into a huge block of cheese that’s too thick and didn’t melt thoroughly. I cut mine just less than 1/4-inch thick.
You can stuff other favorite toppings into these like cooked crumbled sausage or olives. One thing to note is that the recipe is just for one sandwich so make sure you double it as needed. The measurements are really just a guide. Just like making sure you don’t go too thick on the cheese slices, you’ll also want to only spread a thin layer of the sauce onto the bread, otherwise it will be soggy.
You do not need to have a panini grill to make these. I don’t have one. I use my indoor grill pan and just place a small cast iron skillet on top to smash it down. I flip the sandwich halfway through and place the skillet on top of the other side and this works perfectly fine!
Pepperoni Pizza Panini
Pepperoni Pizza Panini - This simple panini is stuffed with 3 simple ingredients: pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni! Eat your pizza in sandwich form!
Ingredients
- 2 slices Italian-style bread (or ciabatta bread)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 3 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni
Instructions
- Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place one of the slices, butter side-down on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bread. Arrange half of the sliced cheese, followed by the pepperoni and then the remaining cheese. Spread another thin layer of sauce on the non-buttered side of the remaining slice of bread and place on top, butter side-up.
- Heat a panini grill or grill pan over medium heat. Transfer the sandwich onto the grill. Close the lid and cook until golden and the cheese is melted. If using a grill pan, place another pan on top of the sandwich to squish the sandwich down. Let the panini cook for about 3 minutes. Flip, place the other pan back on top, and grill another 3 minutes until golden and the cheese is melted. Slice and serve with remaining marinara sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 485Total Fat: 30gCholesterol: 71mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 23g
Exact nutrition estimates may vary depending on type of bread, marinara sauce, and cheese used.
