This Easy Turkey Basil Pesto Panini recipe is an easy, delicious meal to put together. It is loaded with pesto, melty fontina cheese, piled high with delicious slices of turkey and tomato, and then grilled or toasted until it is a perfect golden brown. It has tons of flavor and is a great lunch or dinner choice!
I was looking for some additional ways to use my pesto, and thought slathering it on a sandwich seemed like a perfect idea! Add the fontina cheese, turkey and tomato and you've got this amazing and perfect sandwich!
The best part about these tasty sandwiches is definitely the combination of the pesto and super melty cheese. Fontina cheese is a mild, buttery cheese that melts oh, so nicely.
Pair this flavorful sandwich with some crunchy chips or a bowl of warm soup for a perfect, complete meal.
If you are looking for more easy dinner ideas, try one of these great recipes: Creamy Chicken and Veggie Soup, Pork Chop Sandwich or Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl with Sweet Pineapple Chutney.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It has pesto. Both sides of the bread for this sandwich are covered in pesto before piling on the rest of the ingredients. The flavor the basil, parmesan and pine nuts go so well with the other ingredients in this sandwich!
- The melty fontina cheese. After covering the bread in pesto, each slice is then covered with the sliced fontina cheese. This not only makes this sandwich extra cheesy, but it ensures that it stays together!
- The crunch. Grilling this sandwich on a panini grill or toasting it in a skillet or on a griddle to a perfect golden brown, gives this sandwich the perfect crunchy texture. Brushing the bread in olive oil before grilling it, helps to give it its delicious crunch and beautiful color.
Ingredients
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make this turkey pesto sandwich recipe. All of the ingredients can be found at you local grocery store or an online retailer, like Amazon.
- Bread: I have made this with both ciabatta and slices of sourdough. It's great with either one! You will want to be sure you choose a type of bread that is crusty and hearty so it will hold up during the grilling. If you are using a loaf of ciabatta, I would slice it down to sandwich size first and then slice in half lengthwise before assembling.
- Pesto: This is the homemade pesto I like to use. My flavorful pesto recipe makes just enough for the 4 sandwiches. You will need about 8-ounces or 1 cup of store-bought pesto sauce.
- Fontina cheese: I buy a 9-ounce block of fontina and I have just enough for the four sandwiches. If you can't find fontina, you could substitute Havarti, slices of provolone or Gouda cheese.
- Turkey: I like to get the turkey sliced a bit on the thicker side from the deli. I also like to choose deli turkey that has an Italian flavor. My number one choice is a sun dried tomato smoked turkey breast from my favorite grocery store. This gives it some additional flavor that works well with everything else.
- Tomato: Use fresh tomato slices. I prefer sliced Roma tomatoes for this but you could use your favorite tomato variety. Roasted red peppers would also be delicious!
- Olive Oil: This is for brushing the outside of the sandwich before grilling or toasting. This is a great way to get that crispy golden bread on the outside!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Bread: Swap the sourdough with ciabatta, focaccia, whole-grain bread, or even a baguette for a slightly different texture and flavor.
- Pesto: Use sun-dried tomato pesto, arugula pesto or parsley pesto for a bit of a twist.
- Fontina cheese: Try provolone, mozzarella, gouda, Swiss, or Havarti. For a stronger flavor, use brie or sharp cheddar.
- Turkey: Substitute with grilled chicken, ham or roast beef.
- Roma tomatoes: Replace with heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes (halved), roasted red peppers, or even caramelized onions for a different flavor.
- Olive oil: Use melted butter, avocado oil or garlic-infused oil for brushing the bread.
This easy recipe has not been tested with these substitutions. If you give any of these a try, please let me know how it worked out in the comments below!
Equipment Needed
- Panini press: A panini press is ideal for evenly pressing and grilling the sandwich.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Lay all slices of bread on a flat surface and spread pesto on each slice.
Step 2
Place sliced cheese on top of the pesto on all slices of bread. Set 4 slices aside.
Step 3
Add turkey slices on top of the cheese on the remaining 4 slices of bread.
Step 4
Layer tomato slices over the turkey.
Step 5
Top with the reserved bread slices, pressing gently to secure the sandwiches.
Brush both sides of each sandwich lightly with olive oil.
Step 6
Grill or toast the sandwiches over medium-high heat until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Remove from the heat, slice in half, and serve warm.
Expert Tips
Here are some tips to help you make this easy recipe as perfect as possible:
- If you are toasting or grilling your sandwich in a skillet or on a griddle, use something heavy to place on top of the sandwich while it cooks. I have used my cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich. This helps the bread toast evenly and helps smoosh it down so it all sticks together with the melted cheese.
- Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the sandwich in half after grilling it. This allows you to slice through it without smashing it down and losing all the goods inside.
- Use leftover turkey that you need to use up. A great way to put that Thanksgiving turkey to use for a second round!
- Serve this with chips, pasta salads or soup and salad!
FAQ
Yes. You could use mozzarella cheese. I have suggested some other cheese above (like fontina, Havarti, provolone or Gouda) because they melt so nice, but mozzarella would be delicious too!
No. You can use a skillet or griddle to toast this sandwich. Its really just whatever you prefer to use to heat up and toast the bread on this sandwich. The goal is to get a crusty golden brown outside bread with melty, cheese on the inside.
Absolutely. I recommend using my basil pesto recipe because it makes the perfect amount for the four sandwiches in this recipe.
Storage
This sandwich is best when it is freshly toasted and warm.
Refrigerator
Store leftovers in an airtight container or zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Wrap in a paper towel and place in the microwave for about 1 minute or until heated through when ready to eat.
You could assemble sandwiches ahead of time and grill or toast when ready to eat. Just store them in an airtight container or zip top bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to toast them.
Freezer
Freezing is not recommended.
Reheating
Wrap in a paper towel and place in the microwave for about 1 minute or until heated through when ready to eat.
More Recipes To Try
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Recipe
Easy Turkey Basil Pesto Panini
Ingredients
- 8 pieces sourdough bread
- 1 cup pesto
- ½ pound fontina cheese, sliced
- 1 ½ pounds turkey, sliced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Lay bread slices on a flat surface. Spread pesto on each slice of bread. Divide the cheese among each slice of bread, placing it on top of the pesto. Set 4 slices aside.8 pieces sourdough bread, 1 cup pesto, ½ pound fontina cheese, sliced
- Divide the turkey among the 4 slices of bread, placing it on top of the cheese.1 ½ pounds turkey, sliced
- Divide the tomato slices among the 4 slices of bread, placing them on top of the turkey.2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- Top with the remaining bread slices and lightly press down to secure. Brush both sides of sandwich with olive oil.Olive oil
- Grill or toast on medium-high heat until golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from heat and slice in half.
Nutrition Information
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
Jean says
So good!