Got Stale Bread? Think Paninis

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Who would have thought there’d be a day when I was glad stale bread was waiting for lunch?

Several weeks ago, a friend and I stopped by a fabulous Greek market in her neighborhood and each ordered a vegetarian panini. Divine. Layered with grilled vegetables and cheese, it was grilled to perfection on handmade bread—it had that chewy, dense texture that leaves a soft white bread sandwich as a dull competitor. Paninis really are best when made with bread that has a firm texture (think Italian or sourdough). Then again, we don’t always have chewy Italian or Greek bread at our house … but stale American bread? Affirmative.

Yes, even if all you have is the standard white or wheat (days old and stale, of course), that’ll work just fine. Whereas a regular cold sandwich would be disappointingly chewy and harsh when stale, that same slice makes a perfect panini.

Thank goodness for Greek and Italian kitchen inspiration. Paninis come to us from Italy, a country filled with cooks that know the true meaning of good eating (and cooking)! Called a panino in its singular form, it’s originally known as a sandwich of meat, cheese and vegetables layered on Ciabatta, a type of Italian white bread in a small loaf. Cut horizontally and filled with salami, cheese or other favorite fillings, it can be eaten straight up as is—but it’s been popularized by buttering the outside and grilling to create a hot melted sandwich delight.

Best of all, you don’t even need a fancy panini press or electric grill to make a delicious homemade panini. Now if you do want those trademark grill marks, you will need an indoor stovetop grill and a heavy skillet (such as cast iron) to use as a pressing weight. Or, if you happen to have a cast-iron grill press, that’s even better for getting those authentic grill lines.

Now that you’re set equipment wise, it’s time to take stock of the ingredients on-hand. If you find any bread that’s starting to go stale, that’s excellent. This is one recipe that you really don’t want to use fresh, soft (especially white) bread for—it will create a panini that’s too gummy and mushy, instead of having that trademark firm texture that softens just a tad when heated and grilled.

The next step is to investigate fillings—and the sky’s the limit here. Whether you go with the all-time fave ham ‘n cheese or create a one-of-a-kind specialty, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Salami, provolone & mustard
• Corned beef, sauerkraut and 1000 island sauce
• Turkey, American cheese and tomato slices
• Baked, sliced tofu with American cheese and BBQ sauce
• Farmers’ cheese with sliced tomato and oregano

And whether you find vegetarians or meat lovers at your table, know that paninis are individually adaptable. Yes, each one can easily have customized ingredients layered by hand before that final hot press.

Go ahead and try the spread recipe below to turn stale bread into a super panini meal with a distinctly Italian twist.

Serves/Makes: 4

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano