Bacon Cheddar Panini is a hot, toasted sandwich oozing with melted cheese and with crispy bacon in every bite. You can use a panini maker or cook the sandwich in a skillet for an easy dinner or lunch.
Toasted sandwiches are easy to make at home and I really enjoy making panini. We have a panini press because we make so many, but even if you don’t have one, you can still make easy panini recipes.
This bacon cheese panini is one of our favorites. It’s easy to make and the toasted bread with the melted cheddar cheese and bacon is a great combination.
This hot sandwich is easy enough to make for lunch or sometimes we make them for dinner with a salad, soup, or fries on the side. It’s better than any sandwich shop!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Ciabatta bread
- Cooked bacon sliced in half
- Melted butter
- Shredded cheddar cheese
How Do You Make a Panini?
First, slice the bread crosswise into four even-sized pieces. Next, slice each piece lengthwise through the center so you have a top and bottom piece.
Heat the panini press to medium-high heat. If you don’t have one, heat a skillet on the stove to medium-high heat.
Layer the shredded cheese and cooked bacon on the bottom slice of bread. Top the sandwiches with the top bread slice and then brush the tops with the melted butter.
Panini Maker Cooking Instructions: Place the sandwiches butter side up in the press and lower the lid. Cook them for three to five minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
Stovetop Instructions: Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet. Place a heavy-bottomed skillet on top of the sandwiches and then place another heavy item on top of the skillet (canned beans or vegetables work well). You just need enough weight to press the sandwiches.
Cook them for a couple of minutes and then flip the sandwiches over and cook them for a couple of minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.
Slice the hot sandwiches in half and serve!
Recipe Tips
Any sturdy bread with a nice crust will work for this bacon panini. We like ciabatta, but Italian bread, French bread, and sourdough bread will work well. You want something sturdy that won’t get totally squished when you cook the sandwiches.
Cheddar and bacon is a classic combo – sharp cheddar cheese works great. But, any good melting shredded cheese will work, too. Try Provolone, Gruyere, mozzarella, or Monterey jack cheese to change the flavor.
Instead of melted butter, try brushing the bread with olive oil.
To make it easy, we like to cook the bacon ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. That way it’s easy to assemble and make the sandwiches when we’re short on time.
You can also add ingredients to this sandwich like thin-sliced turkey or other fillings, but don’t load them up too much because the sandwiches will take longer to cook. If you can make a grilled cheese sandwich, you can make this cheese panini with bacon! It’s fast, easy, and the flavors are great. Enjoy!
More Delicious Sandwiches You’ll Enjoy
Bacon Cheddar Panini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Ciabatta bread cut into four sections and then cut each in half so you have a top and bottom slice
- 8 slices bacon cooked
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Set Panini maker (or skillet) to medium high heat.
- Assemble the panini by putting a layer of cheddar cheese, then two slices of bacon (cut in half) followed by another layer of cheese. Add the top of the sandwich and brush with melted butter.
- Place in Panini maker, shut the lid and cook for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. Cut and serve!!
Recipe Nutrition
This Bacon Cheddar Panini is super easy to make – andyou can use a panini maker or cook the sandwich in a skillet for an easy dinner or lunch.