Turkey Artichoke Panini

I admit it, I’m not much of a sandwich person. The idea of white, fluffy bread and poor-quality fillings doesn’t satisfy my hunger or my palate. Gourmet sandwiches are another story. If a sandwich has a beyond-the-basic spread, quality ingredients, and artisan bread… I’m in!

George Foreman Grill = Panini Press

I first mentioned my Turkey Artichoke Panini on the Mommysavers Frugal Forums, and someone said it sounded just like a Panera Copycat. I’ve never had their version, but this one is really good! I created this recipe almost entirely by chance. I had made a big batch of my spinach artichoke dip for a party, and had some left over. The next day, I used the dip along with some smoked turkey on a sandwich; and it was fabulous! Since then, I’ve discovered that caramelized onions and red peppers make it even better.

This time around, I used Sam’s Club Castle Wood lunch meat. It’s Sam’s private label brand, and it comes in wide variety of flavors and combo pack options. I also picked up some focaccia bread to give it a true gourmet flair. Feel free to use artistic license when you make this. I’ve got the basic recipe for you to print out below, but add your own personal touch! Different types of meats and cheese are fun alternatives to make it even better-tasting to you, personally. My husband didn’t want the red peppers on his, so I created sandwich with them, and one without. Both fabulous!

To see more photos of the sandwich creation process, view my Google+ Photo Album: Turkey Artichoke Panini

Frugal Tips: Don’t have a panini press? You can use your George Foreman grill!

Castle Wood Turkey Artichoke Panini

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can artichokes, chopped
¼ C. onion slices
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. fresh spinach leaves
⅓ C. cream cheese
⅓ C. mayo
½ C. Parmesan cheese
1 round focaccia bread
Castle Wood turkey lunchmeat (at Sam’s Club)
Swiss cheese slices
Optional: roasted red peppers

Instructions

In a skillet, heat onions in olive oil. Add garlic and spinach, toss until spinach is wilted. Add artichokes, cream cheese, mayo, and Parmesan cheese. Turn heat down to low and stir until ingredients are blended.
Spread artichoke mixture on focaccia bread. Layer turkey lunchmeat and swiss cheese slices, and more spinach leaves and roasted red peppers if desired. Use a panini press or George Foreman grill to toast the bread.

Additional Resources:

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sam’s Club Private Label #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.