I recently decided to jump on the recipe series trend on Instagram, and we can all thank Bridger who was the inspo behind one of my first series that I’m calling Wraps and Sandwiches. After all, a good sandwich is one of life’s best, simple pleasures, is it not? I knew I had to start the series strong, so I went with the ultimate Italian Sub Paninis. They turned out so good, I’ve been tempted to make them on the daily (and actually did make these twice in one weekend for us when the craving refused to subside). This one is definitely worth digging out the panini press for – promise!

A DREAMY PANINI

Ok, tell me I’m not the only one who’s almost always in the mood for a sandwich… especially when you turn it into a panini, making it a warm, crunchy and flavor-filled meal that tastes like a dream. At this point, I’m starting to consider myself a sandwich queen so I feel like it’s my duty to share with you my take on this classic sandwich. It has all the fixings: salami, soppressata, turkey, chili peppers, cheese, pepperoncini, tomatoes and more. Run, don’t walk, to get all the ingredients together and prepare to treat yourself and anyone else who’s lucky enough to be around for lunch (or dinner!) when you whip this one up. It takes no time and you definitely won’t regret it.

SPREADS AND BREADS

There’s really no wrong way to make a sandwich so long as you have all of your favorite fixings, toppings, flavors and layers – and of course, a solid selection of bread. But before I get into the meat of it (had to!), I have to say that I love how the use of different dressings, or spreads, really add the most incredible flavor and let every other layer’s tastiness shine through.

In these Italian Sub Paninis, I spread chopped Calabrian chili peppers on one side of the baguette for a little heat and nutrient boost (chili peppers are a powerful antioxidant, rich in vitamins and micronutrients), and whisked together a very easy oil & vinegar mixture to pour over the lettuce. Seriously, it’s so easy – it’s just oil, vinegar, salt and oregano.

NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS

For the main fixings, we all know I love taking the nutritious but delicious approach, so I typically buy organic meats and produce. To ensure I’m getting a high-quality protein source, I used organic sliced turkey, and salami and soppressata from Applegate. The combo of these three meats is perfection – salty, a tiny bit herby and just the right amount of meaty. 

But we need to talk about the slightly spicy pepper jack goat cheese and Calabrian chili peppers. The two pair so well with the juicy, subtly sweet Roma tomatoes and the vinegary taste from the pepperoncini’s and oil mixture. Add in a few, thin-sliced red onions and some crisp, crunchy romaine and this one just might bring you tears. It’s that good. For even more flavor and/or crunch, you can serve it with your favorite side salad, pickles, chips (I love Siete), or fruit. Let me know what you think after you give this panini a try!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

• Baguette or your favorite bread
• Chopped Calabrian chili peppers (I use @eatdivina)
• Pepper Jack goat cheese (or favorite cheese)
• Sliced turkey and/or ham (I use organic)
• Italian salami (I used @applegate)
• Soppressata salami (I used @applegate)
• Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Pepperoncinis
• Chopped romaine
• Ground pepper
• Ghee (to spread on the outside of your bread before it hits the panini press)

Oil & vinegar dressing:

• Few tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Pink salt
• Oregano

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN SUB PANINIS

Whisk the oil & vinegar dressing ingredients together in a cup or bowl. Layer your sandwich ingredients on your bread, then pour a few tablespoons of the dressing over the top of the lettuce.

Close your sandwich, then spread ghee on the outside for a crispier bread. Set in the panini press and grill for about 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is slightly melty. Enjoy!

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS

Paninis and sandwiches are super customizable, which makes them a great lunch or dinner to fit a variety of dietary needs and preferences. I typically like to use a sourdough baguette or sliced bread (I’m gluten free but have found that I can get away with having some sourdough). But you can certainly use your favorite GF bread or whatever works best for you. 

I’m also dairy-free so I tend to use goat cheese, like I did with the pepperjack in this recipe, but feel free to use regular pepperjack or whatever your favorite cheese is – or you can omit the cheese entirely if preferred. Same goes for the meats – feel free to use sliced ham instead of turkey, just one of the salami or soppressata, or could even swap or add in sliced pepperoni if that’s more your style and you want some extra heat. I’m not into mayo, but you could definitely spread some on your bread in addition to or in place of the Calabrian chili peppers if you’d like.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SANDWICH AND A PANINI?

Fair question! A sandwich is more of a basic concept, aka two slices of bread with one or more ingredients in between, and can be made cold or hot. A panini is a sandwich that’s usually made with Italian bread, like ciabatta or focaccia. The main differentiator being that the outside of the panini bread is buttered then pressed or grilled in a panini press, making that warm, crunchy texture and those signature grill marks.

ARE DELI MEATS HEALTHY? 

Deli meats can be included in a balanced approach to eating, but it’s all about making the best choice available to you. Generally, ordering fresh sliced deli meat is one of the best options because it’ll have fewer ingredients. I prefer to buy organic. When I’m not buying fresh from the deli counter, I love the brand Applegate because it has minimal preservatives and added ingredients.

SHOP THE RECIPE

TRY SOME OF MY OTHER GO-TO SANDWICHES, WRAPS AND PANINIS: 

Avocado Turkey Pesto Paninis

Loaded Chicken Pesto Panini 

High-Protein Chicken Caesar Wrap 

Gluten-Free Hot Honey Chicken Sliders

My Go-To Loaded Sandwich

Click here to watch the reel I made of this recipe 🙂