If you love crispy buttery bread and melty cheese, you are going to LOVE the flavors in this Italian Panini recipe!
Creamy roasted garlic cloves, roasted red peppers, and artichokes combine with Italian cheeses in this popular gluten free Italian panini sandwich. If you love a good panini, you will want to check out this delicious Hatch Chile Tuna Melt Panini!
Table of Contents
What is a panini?
I can't wait to share this panini Italiano sandwich with you. It is crazy good, with all sorts of flavors that blend together perfectly to make a party in your mouth!! A panini is an Italian sandwich that is made with Italian bread in a special panini press.
For this gluten free panini recipe, I used mozzarella slices. You can also add in some provolone cheese slices to give even more flavor!!
If you are looking for a delicious gluten free bread to use, try making my homemade Gluten Free Bread Machine Bread recipe! It makes the best gluten free bread!
What is a panini press?
You don't need an expensive panini grill to make a panini! And even more importantly, you don't need one at all :-). Feel free to use a pan and make grilled cheese with this recipe!
Are you ready to see how easy it is to make this panini grill sandwich recipe?
What you need to make this panini:
- Gluten free bread - Use your favorite brand. I used gluten free white bread by Franz but many brands make white bread.
- Mozzarella cheese - You can use any sliced cheese for this as long as it melts well. Provolone is also delicious.
- Marinated artichokes - I used canned artichokes. Make sure the artichokes you use are not packed in oil or your sandwich will be oily.
- Roasted red peppers - I used jarred roasted red peppers. You can roast your own red peppers easily on a grill or over the stove.
Recipe step by step directions:
It is so easy to make panini! If you don't have a panini grill, use a skillet and cook these as you would if you were making a grilled cheese sandwhich.
Step 1: Roast the garlic bulb. Chop off the tips of a garlic bulb. Next, rub olive oil on the garlic cloves. Bake at 350º F until the garlic is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
When the garlic is finished, heat your panini press. If you don't have a panini press, you can use a pan and grill your sandwich.
Step 2: Butter one side of the bread and put it on the hot panini press. Smear some roasted garlic bulbs on the bread.
Step 3: Next, add the cheese!
Step 4: Now for some pizzazz! Add roasted red pepper and canned artichoke slices on top of the cheese. Put cheese on top of the peppers and artichokes.
Step 5: Add another slice of bread and close the panini press. Cook for 5 minutes until the cheese is very melted and you see golden grill marks in your bread.
Look at all of that melty cheese! You are going to LOVE this with your first bite!!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Unfortunately, those who are gluten free are a bit more limited since we can't eat real Italian bread. The best bread for a panini is any kind. I like to use the white bread by Canyon Bakehouse and Franz Bakery best.
You can brush olive oil on the bread if you do not want to use butter.
You can make this sandwich in a pan the same way you would make a grilled cheese sandwich.
These Italian sandwiches will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container
More Delicious Lunch Recipes:
- Tuna Panini with Caramelized Onion and Hatch Chiles
- Chicken Chopped Salad
- Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocados
- Chicken Filet Burgers
Recipe
Italian Panini Grill Sandwich
Ingredients
- 8 slices mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers
- ⅓ cup canned artichoke slices
- 6 cloves roasted garlic
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 slices gluten free bread
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat your panini grill. Also preheat a toaster oven or oven to 350º F.
- Cut off some of the top of a head of garlic. Drizzle the olive oil onto it.
- Bake the head of garlic for 20 minutes until golden. (Note it is faster in a toaster oven. If you use a regular oven it may take longer to get the garlic to caramelize.)
- Butter one side of four slices of gluten free bread.
- On a cutting board, slice roasted red peppers and artichokes.
- Place two slices of bread on your panini grill, butter side down on the hot grate.
- Spread some caramelized garlic onto each slice of bread. Add two slices of cheese on top of the garlic.
- Next, add roasted red pepper and artichoke slices.
- Add two more slices of cheese, then put the bread slice on top, butter side facing up towards the heated top grate.
- Grill until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- You can use jarred or canned artichokes. If your artichokes were packed in oil, you may want to squeeze the oil out with a paper towel so your sandwich doesn't turn out oily.
- I used jarred red peppers but you can also roast your own on the grill or stovetop.
- Mozzarella cheese or provolone works very well in this sandwich.
- If you don't have a panini press, use a skillet and cook it like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Natalie Ellis
This is truly a ideal breakfast! Easy and Tasty! The artichoke looks interesting, I want to try it soonnn!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Natalie, I hope you liked it :-).
Shiho
Wow, look at the melting cheese!! I love panini and good to know that I don't need a panini grill to make this because I don't have one 😀
Sandi Gaertner
LOL, the melty cheese is crazy good :-).
Liz
Sandi, I'm without a kitchen for another month or so and these scrumptious grilled panini sandwiches made an easy, delicious dinner! I'll be making these all summer long!!!
Sandi Gaertner
I can't wait to see your remodel when it is finished! Glad you like this recipe :-).