Pizza Panini

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 13

Warm, crisp, and gooey in all the right ways, this pizza panini brings together everything you love about pizza and sandwiches in one handheld, melty bite. It’s simple, indulgent, and perfect for those nights when you want pizza, but crave convenience. Customizable, pantry-friendly, and ready in minutes!

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Ingredients

Pizza Panini

▢ 4 slices hearty bread or ciabatta such as sourdough, rustic, or ciabatta split and scooped
▢ 1/3 cup (80 ml) pizza sauce or marinara preferably thick, not watery
▢ 4 oz (115 g) fresh mozzarella cheese sliced; low-moisture shredded also works
▢ 12 slices pepperoni or to taste; can swap with salami or skip for vegetarian
▢ olive oil spray or olive oil for brushing bread

Equipment

▢
Panini Press or Grill Pan
▢
Heavy Skillet (optional, for pressing)

Instructions

Preheat your panini press, grill pan, or skillet over medium heat. If using a grill pan, also grab a heavy skillet for pressing.
Slice the bread thickly. If using ciabatta, scoop out some of the center to prevent it from being too bready. Evenly smear pizza sauce over the inside of each slice of bread.
Layer fresh mozzarella slices on two bread slices (the bottoms), then evenly layer pepperoni slices over the cheese. Top with the other two bread slices, sauce-side down.
Lightly spray or brush the outside of each sandwich with olive oil for a golden, crisp finish.
Place sandwiches in the panini press or on the grill pan, pressing down with the heavy skillet if needed. Grill for 3–4 minutes per side, until the cheese is melted and bread is golden and crisp.
Let cool for a minute, then slice and serve while the cheese is still gooey.

Notes

This recipe is endlessly customizable: swap pepperoni for other meats, layered veggies, or extra cheese—whatever you love on pizza, you’ll love here! Make sure your sauce isn’t watery to avoid soggy bread. For extra crispy crust, don’t skip the olive oil step.

Nutrition