From Hash Browns to Cookies: 9 Unexpected Foods You Can Make in a Panini Press
Crisp Breakfasts and Bread
For a potato pancake, spread frozen hash browns over a greased press and cook at 450°F for six minutes. The potatoes form a crisp sheet that can be broken into pieces or topped with creme fraiche and smoked salmon.
Leftover cornbread can be pressed on oiled plates at 350°F for five minutes, turning it crisp and sturdy enough for toppings. Thick challah or brioche slices soaked in eggs, milk and maple syrup make French toast in about five minutes at 350°F; buttering the plates adds richness.
Cheese, Fruit and Dumplings
Halloumi slices cooked at 350°F for five to six minutes develop grill marks while remaining soft inside. They can be served on a salad or cheese board. Pineapple takes three minutes at 425°F to char and become sweeter, making it suitable for a cocktail garnish, pizza or fruit salad. Frozen dumplings cook on a greased press at 400°F for nine minutes, or until their internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Quick Meats and Sweet Treats
Frozen, fully cooked meatballs can be heated at 400°F for five minutes, or until they reach 165°F. Serve them with toothpicks and dipping sauce or place them in buns.
Frozen chicken nuggets take six minutes at 400°F, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. For dessert, golf-ball-size portions of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough cook at 350°F for six to seven minutes; use less time for softer cookies.
Key points
- A panini press heats food from both sides, helping it crisp and caramelize.
- Frozen hash browns become a potato pancake in six minutes at 450°F.
- Frozen dumplings and cooked meatballs can be prepared directly on the press.
- Cookie dough can be cooked into crisp cookies in six to seven minutes.