Image via Wikipedia

If you’re looking for a panini recipe that is sure to please almost anyone, then be sure to try a pizza panini.  This is a simple recipe that should be in one of those cooking for kids cookbooks.  It’s an easy to make, tastes great hot sandwich with Italian style.

Your choice of bread is very important with a pizza panini.  You definitely don’t want to try this with two slices on Wonder Bread in your panini maker.  And you’ll probably make someone sick if you try it with a cinnamon raisin bread.  No, you really need a great crusty Italian style bread for this recipe.

So whether you pick a round semolina peasant loaf or ciabatta rolls or even a loaf of regular Italian bread, you should be okay.  And just to be clear this is not an open faced sandwich.  You’ll have to clean your panini grill for hours if you forgo the lid to this panini.

The next thing you need is some tomato sauce.  You don’t need too much so any sauce that’s leftover from your last spagetti dinner will do just fine.  The last ingredient is cheese.  Like any good pizza, you’ll want to use mozzarella cheese.  The shredded mozzarella that comes in a bag from the supermarket will do just fine but if you want to treat yourself, you must try fresh mozzarella.  You can buy a ball of fresh mozzarella at a good Italian deli and believe me you will taste the difference.

And just like regular pizza, you can also add your favorite toppings to the panini sandwich.  Most popular in my home are slices of pepperoni or sausage.  Remember not to overdue it though or the flavors of the toppings will overpower the sauce and the cheese.

Making this panini recipe is easy and can be lots of fun too.  Why not set up a mini fixing bar with all of your family’s favorite toppings and let them add their own.  Then after a few minutes in the panini press, you’ll all be enjoying personal pizza panini.

In my last post about the Krups Panini Maker, I mentioned how a panini grill wasn’t just for making panini sandwiches.  And a Patty Melt Recipe is a great way to prove it.

A patty melt is a hamburger with fried onions and swiss cheese on sliced bread (usually rye) that’s cooked grilled cheese style.  Anything that’s cooked grilled cheese style makes a great panini sandwich.

Read more »