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Panini sandwiches have totally been one of my go-to meals in all of the recent madness! Theyโ€™re quick and inexpensive to make, plus, with the right ingredients, they can be beyond delicious. So today Iโ€™m sharing some of my panini making secrets with this recipe for a Grilled Balsamic Blueberry and Cheese Panini!

My Panini Press Obsession

To be completely honest, our familyโ€™s panini dinner trend didnโ€™t really start with me. It actually started when we decided to buy our Lagostina panini pan. Iโ€™ve been using Lagostina for years now, and Iโ€™d been hearing a lot of great things about their panini pan. But even after hearing such great feedback, I couldnโ€™t pull the trigger. I thought we didnโ€™t make enough paninis to totally justify buying a whole pan devoted to making them. How funny is that looking back?! I had tried to make paninis before in a skillet, but of course itโ€™s just not really the same. So I finally bit the bullet and bought the panini pan, and now I have no idea how I ever lived without one!
The pan makes your sandwiches so crispy and gives them just the perfect bite. And now I seriously canโ€™t. stop. making them. Last week, I made grilled ham and swiss paninis for the whole family and served them with tomato soup for dipping. The kids absolutely loved them! And Andy and I were definitely big fans too! ;) If you love paninis, then I really recommend buying a panini pan for yourself. For this recipe in particular, I promise the pan seriously makes all of the difference. So good!

Grilled Balsamic Blueberry and Cheese Panini

After our ham and cheese paninis, I decided to get a little more adventurous with the panini pan. So this time around, I made this absolutely amazing Grilled Balsamic Blueberry and Cheese Panini. I know that it may sound like a totally weird combination, but trust me on this one! The salty balsamic vinegar and sweet blueberries are basically a match made in food heaven. Plus, cheese belongs in basically everything right!? ;) Then when you roll the whole thing together and crisp it in a panini pan, you have one of my new favorite sandwiches! This recipe can be made in just a few minutes and is great for an easy lunch or paired with soup for a bigger dinner. Plus, the flavors are also perfect for any season, so you can eat this panini all year long. And if Iโ€™m not careful, I just may end up doing that. ;)

How To Make This Grilled Balsamic Blueberry and Cheese Panini

As promised, the recipe for this simple and delicious panini only requires a few minutes and a few ingredients. So easy! For the ingredients, chances are you have half of them sitting in your fridge and pantry already. To make one panini, youโ€™ll need two slices of bread, plenty of cheese, a handful of spinach, the other handful filled with blueberries, some balsamic vinegar, and a little bit of brown sugar. See? So simple! To start, youโ€™ll just need to combine your blueberries, sugar, and vinegar in a saucepan and let everything thicken up. Once blueberries and brown sugar are basically all you can smell, youโ€™re ready to start assembling! Take one slice of bread and spread as much of the blueberry mixture onto it as you like. I also like to use a thicker kind of bread like sourdough. I love the way it crisps up and the breadโ€™s sturdiness means it can hold a ton of the blueberries! ;) From here, just top with however much cheese and spinach that you want for your ideal sandwich. I also would really recommend using a white cheese that tends to melt well. After all, you want to get that ooey, gooey, string cheese effect going on right? ;) Any cheese like mozzarella or a nice white cheddar would do the trick. With all of your ingredients in place, now all the work is up to the panini pan! Add a bit of butter into your pan, add the sandwich, and wait for the perfect panini.

This is one of those recipes that I seriously canโ€™t wait for you guys to try! Itโ€™s simple and easy, but tastes like youโ€™re really indulging. Itโ€™s such a perfect meal for the busy mom or an inexpensive treat for my busy career girls on a strict budget! Do any of you already have a panini pan? Or even better, more panini recipes to share? Iโ€™m looking for even more inspiration for my obsession. ;)

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Grilled Balsamic Blueberry and Cheese Panini

By Melissa Johnson
This Grilled Balsamic Blueberry and Cheese Panini is seriously so good! I know that it may sound like a totally weird combination, but trust me on this one! The salty balsamic vinegar and sweet blueberries are basically a match made in food heaven. Plus, cheese belongs in basically everything right!? ;) Then when you roll the whole thing together and crisp it in a panini pan, you have one of my new favorite sandwiches! This recipe can be made in just a few minutes and is great for an easy lunch or paired with soup for a bigger dinner.ย 
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Ingredients 

  • 2 slices of bread
  • Mozzarella, Monterey or Swiss cheese
  • Fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbs. brown sugar

Instructions 

  • Mix blueberries, sugar and vinegar in small saucepan. Cook on medium high until reduced and syrupy. Strain berriesย from liquid.
  • Butter both sides of your two slices of bread.
  • Spread blueberry mixture onto one pieceย of bread, top with cheese, and spinach.
  • Grill to perfection and serve!
Tried this recipe?Mention @bestfriendsforfrosting or tag #bestfriendsforfrosting!

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About Melissa Johnson

My bakery experience taught me the secrets to simple baking. Now, I share easy-to-follow recipes and party ideas through Best Friends For Frostingยฎ and my cookbook, Celebrating Everyday, simplifying everyday cooking and holiday celebrations.

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