Whether you’re traveling this holiday season or hosting everyone at your house, we can all benefit from an easy 10 minute lunch or dinner amongst the hustle and bustle of the season. In addition to these Turkey Pepper Jack Paninis being quick and easy to transport, they are a great way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. They also come with a spicy mayo that really brings out the kick of the pepper jack cheese. I make them with a side salad for dinner to keep things healthy but I have also put them in my husband’s lunches for a convenient meal on the go.
The best turkey pepper jack paninis start with a spicy spread that gives the sandwich a nice kick. Use 1/4 cup light mayo, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and a couple squirts of hot sauce. I use either Tapitio or Tabasco sauce.
Mix it all together and spread it across Ciabatta buns. I use Ciabatta bread for my turkey pepper jack paninis because the bread is sturdy and holds up well in the Panini maker.
Now add your turkey and pepper jack cheese. This would be a great way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
Top the sandwiches with the other piece of bread and spray each side with cooking spray so that it doesn’t burn. Pull down the lid on the panini maker and heat the sandwiches until the cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a panini maker you can always use a grill pan or saute pan with another saute pan pressed down on top. You will just have to flip the sandwich to grill both sides.
When the sandwiches have cooled enough to handle, add in the lettuce, tomato, or any other fixings you might like.
Serve warm with fresh fruit and kettle chips. Turkey pepper jack paninis are so easy to make that we have them at both lunch and dinnertime. I have even taken them on a picnic and they taste delicious. Sometimes it’s nice to have the crunchy top to the sandwich even if the inside isn’t warm.
When I make this for dinner, I sometimes serve it with my Cranberry and Candied Pecan Salad or my Apple Blue Cheese Salad. It makes for a healthy and quick meal that looks and tastes amazing. For more quick meal ideas, visit my Recipe Index or follow my 30 Minute Meal Madness board on Pinterest. Happy cooking y’all!
10 Minute Turkey Pepperjack Paninis
Ingredients
- 4 Ciabatta buns cut in half
- 12 oz turkey slices
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- 1/4 cup light mayo
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2-3 squirts of hot sauce
- Cooking spray
- Optional: lettuce tomato
Instructions
- Mix together the mayo, mustard, and hot sauce.
- Spread the spicy mayo on all the slices of Ciabatta.
- Divide the turkey and cheese evenly among the sandwiches.
- Close the sandwiches and spray top and bottom with cooking spray.
- Heat in a panini maker for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
- Remove and let cool.
- Once cooled, add in lettuce and tomato and cut in half.
- Serve warm with fresh fruit or chips.