Panini Ideas: Full Court Press

It will come as no surprise that the best panini I’ve ever had was served to me in Italy. My wife and I were walking the streets of Parma when a cold spring rain forced us to take cover in a nearby trattoria. It was lunch time and we ordered paninis. They were mind blowing good!

Up until that point, I had never been the biggest fan of the sandwich. That day changed my opinion quickly. I now seek them out.

They are an easy sell, especially when paired with a salad or soup as a lunch special. If you’ve been considering adding them to your menu, here are some recipes courtesy of Pizza Today contributor and Pizza Expo speaker John Gutekanst to get your experimentation started.

Piri Piri Chicken Panini

Piri Piri refers to the fiery African birds-eye chili pepper which has been used in a garlicky sauce and marinade since the fifteenth century. This sauce is purportedly Portuguese in origin but the people in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Angola have claims on origin and recipes that vary widely. I just love making this sauce for my heat-seeking customers because it is perfect on vegetable and chicken pizza. If the recent trend toward hot chicken sandwiches continues, this panini is bound to be a game changer. You can substitute red Cayenne, Arbol, Manzano or Serrano and adjust the heat from there.

Get the Piri Piri Chicken Panini recipe.

Fajita Steak Gyro Panini

This giant panini crosses all boundaries but cleans up in the taste category! Like the Piri Piri, all the work is in the back-end preparation. This marinade is as spicy as you want it to be and complements the addition of a huge melting blob of sharp cheddar, sautéed onions and bell pepper. The two gyro buns are a perfect platform instead of a too-thin fajita and a too-thick sub bun. I like to cut this into 8 to 10 slices for a fabulous table appetizer.

Get the Fajita Steak Gyro Panini recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.