I love Panini's!!! What's not to like? Toasted bread, meat, melted cheese, and a yummy spread. Here's a recipe for Turkey Pesto Roasted Pepper Panini's. Simple ingredients but with care and some good prep time ahead of the campout, comes together quite nice.
This recipe is based on the following recipes:
Turkey Roasted Red Pepper Panini from Yummly: Recipe no longer available online
Pesto Mayo recipe (excluded Worcestershire Sauce): https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/pesto-mayonnaise-recipe/
Turkey Pesto Roasted Pepper Panini
Difficulty: Simple/Moderate
Prep time: Home - 20-30min, Campsite - 20-30 min
Good for: Lunch/Dinner
Servings: 10 Adults
Ingredients
24 Slices bread (hearty, can withstand cooking)
2 lbs fresh turkey breast, sliced thinned (deli-style)
8 Slices Provolone/Jack Cheese
2 Red/Yellow Peppers, each cut lengthwise into 5 wide
Fresh Spinach, about 1 cup
Mayo, 1 cup
Basil, ¼ cup, minced
Lemon juice, 2 tbsp
Garlic, fresh, minced 1 tbsp
Olive oil (can also be vegetable oil)
Salt and pepper
Prep at Home
Start with the peppers, preheating an oven (or even a toaster oven) to 450 degrees. Cut up the peppers, each into 5 lengthwise strips (first split in half, then remove the core and seeds). Place peppers on tray lined with aluminum foil and moderately oiled. Sprinkle peppers with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit more oil on top. Mix up by hand to evenly coat with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out peppers into a single layer skin side down and place in oven. Flip peppers when slightly charred (about 10-15min). Continue with skin side up for another 10-15 min until peppers are cooked but not charred and not falling apart. Cool and store in container or plastic storage bag. While peppers are cooking, make the pesto mayo. Mince basil and garlic. Add basil and garlic to mayo, along with lemon juice, salt, and pepper (to taste) and then mix thoroughly. Store in airtight container. Lastly, wash and dry the spinach. All ingredients should be stored in iced cooler for travel.
Prep/Cook at Campsite
Stage your ingredients on a large clean surface close to the cooktop. Start with 10 portions of turkey (will be less than ¼ lb per serving), roasted peppers (1 slice per sandwich), cheese slices (1 per sandwich), few spinach leaves per serving, and 20 slices of bread. Place olive oil in a small bowl or plate, with a pastry brush or couple of paper towels folder up. Lastly have the pesto mayo and spreading knife ready. Heat a large griddle or cast iron skillets over medium heat. Test with water and ready when water sizzles but does not evaporate immediately. While cooking surface is heating up, spread oil onto one side only of all the bread slices. Once cooking surface is ready, generously coat the cooktop or skillet with oil and spread evenly. Then, pick up a slice bread and spread pesto mayo on the non-oiled side, and quickly place the oiled side down on the cooktop (mayo side up). Quickly add turkey, cheese, roasted pepper, spinach, and lastly another slide of bread oiled side UP. For extra taste, you may also coat the non-oiled side of the 2nd slice with pesto mayo (which will be face down on the sandwich). Cook for 5-10 minutes until bottom of sandwich is browned. (OPTION: you may place another skillet or heavy pot on the top of the sandwich while cooking to add a “panini” effect - of course bottom of that pot/skillet should be cleaned ahead of time) When first side is brown, carefully flip and brown the other side, then remove. When all sandwiches have been cooked, cut diagonally in half. Serve warm with your favorite side.
Note: This dish can easily be turned into a vegetarian meal. Cut out the turkey, amp up the veggies and cheese, even add a sliced tomato.