Have a pizza craving? Don’t have the ingredients to make one or too lazy? Well this recipe will satisfy that craving in panini form!
Ok, so I LOVE pizza, like I’m actually obsessed and would probably eat it for every meal if I could. But let’s be real, that’s obviously not feasible, so I created this recipe for those times you really want pizza but just can’t make it or need something different! These loaded veggie pizza paninis’ are a burst of flavor with melted fresh mozzarella that will keep you wanting more.
The fresh veggie filling sautéed in pizza seasonings are the perfect filling for these pockets of heaven. I used onions, garlic, green peppers, spinach and jalapeños to achieve the desired flavors for a veggie lovers pizza but honestly, any veggies on hand will do with the right amount of spices!
When assembling the sandwiches, spread a generous amount of pesto on the bread so the flavors can melt into the rest of the ingredients when it’s cooking in the panini press. You can use store bought or homemade pesto. I used my Chilli Pesto for this recipe.
Grill these babies on a panini press or you can put them on a stovetop grill with something heavy on top to achieve the same look and crisp factor of these sandwiches. I used regular steak rolls for these sandwiches but ciabatta bread or even Italian bread would work great on these! I wouldn’t recommend using regular sandwich bread as that won’t be able to hold all the ingredients in here and the sauce may cause it to get soggy, so get some good bread y’all and enjoy!
Loaded Veggie Pizza Paninis’
Ingredients
- 4 bread rolls of choice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup onions chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper julienned
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- salt
- 2 cups spinach packed
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- 4 tbsp pesto or chili pesto
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- In a medium pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and let it get a little hot
- Add in chopped onions and garlic and sauté until onions just begin to get slightly translucent; then add in peppers
- Sauté veggies on medium until the pepper starts to get softer and add garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano, salt and chili flakes. Mix thoroughly and add in the spinach
- Sauté until spinach is wilted, throw in the jalapeños and cook for another 1-2 minutes before turning off the stove and setting aside
Assembly
- Spread the pesto on each half of the bread rolls and top one half with generous amount of veggie mixture
- Season with a little more oregano and chili flakes, if desired
- Add about a tbsp of marinara sauce on top of the veggie mixture and top with 2 slices of fresh mozzarella per panini
- Press the sandwiches in a panini press for about 5 minutes or until you see the cheese melting and serve hot!
Notes
- I used Rao’s marinara sauce for this recipe, which I highly recommend, but any marinara will do
- Add some fresh basil to this for some extra flavor
