**THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED** Get ready for another fun giveaway on Panini Happy!
We’ve got a Breville Panini Grill – the very model that first inspired me to start writing this blog – up for grabs, courtesy of the wonderful folks at Breville USA. A second winner will receive a copy of “Top Chef” head judge Tom Colicchio’s fabulous new ‘wichcraft
As fans of “Top Chef” well know, each episode starts with a quickfire challenge where the chefs are often asked to come up with creative dishes in a short amount of time and with a limited set of ingredients. For my version of “Top Panini Chef”* I’m challenging you to come up with a creative panini idea using at least 2 of the ingredients from the grid below plus any other ingredients of your choice. Tell me your idea in the comments (one entry per person, please) and two winners will be selected at random to receive the panini grill and the cookbook.
As host Padma would say, “Your time starts NOW!” The contest ends this Friday, September 4, 2009 at 5:00 PM PDT. Apologies to my international readers – we can only ship the prizes to U.S. addresses. **THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**
* This contest is not affiliated in any way with Bravo or “Top Chef”.
Panini Happy, online since 2008, is more than just a sandwich blog. Here, you'll find hundreds of my original 
Ooh, what a fun challenge! Based on an amazing salad last night, my idea is:
–ciabatta bread, drizzled with a sweet vinaigrette
–pesto made from toasted almonds, arugula and green onions
–bacon
–slices of cold roast chicken
–chopped figs
–caramelized onions
-brie and goat cheese
I would say…caramelized onion, applewood bacon cooked almost -crisp and dark chocolate (only a little) with fontina cheese. All that on grilled challah or ciabatta.
Home made focaccia bread, sliced tomato, grilled onions, sliced fresh mozarella, sliced kalamata olives with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. My wife raves over this grilled paninni!
Ooo, ooo . . . I’d like to try a panini with egg, caramelized onion, and brie cheese on rosemary olive bread. (So the filling would lean toward sweet, the bread toward savory.)
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Let Me Tell You =-.
Sourdough Bread (from San Fran, of course)
Thinly sliced apples
Brie Cheese
and a Chocolate Sauce.
Delish!
I made it this weekend!
Honey wheat bread
Turkey Bacon
Mozzarella Cheese
Tomato
Shredded Crispy Lettuce
Absolutely I would have to go with sourdough, brie, and Genoa salami. I ate that when I lived in the Netherlands all the time!
try this on for size: thinly sliced turkey, pepperjack cheese, pepper-apple jelly (i’ve made it and i’ve devoured it), a little cuke for crunch, and some heirloom tomato to tie it all together. and i drool.
.-= grace´s last blog ..al baraki =-.
Nice giveaway!
My sandwich would be sourdough, sliced tomato, hummus, oven roasted assorted veggies, and melty cheese.
sourdough bread, turkey breast, dijon mustard, gouda, avocado, shaved red onion, and arugula. pressed until warm and gooey, sounds heavenly to me!
I like to keep it simple, less is more:
Carmelized ONIONS,
Sliced pears,
Gorgonzola,
All on SOURDOUGH BREAD
I’m making this panini tomorrow…yum!
What a great giveaway!
I would go with a sourdough bread slathered with a mango chutney, then top with prosciutto, carmelized onions, and brie cheese. Yum!!!
Cool contest! I would definitely start off with sourdough bread since I live in the bay area and love to bake sourdough. I’d add a thin layer of chipotle mayo, tomatoes, thinly sliced cheddar cheese, and avocados. Yum!
.-= sara´s last blog ..August Daring Bakers: Dobos Torte =-.
Here in Ohio, the weather is feeling very fall-like. With that in mind, sourdough with apples, brie and bacon would be a nice start on a panini, with some caramelize balsamic onions.
.-= Curt´s last blog ..Livefire On Internet Radio =-.
This is a sandwich my sister and I came up with a couple of years ago. It is to die for!
Combine mayo with chunked turkey breast, diced tart apple, pinepple chunks, diced red onion and black pepper in a bowl. Put a healthy scoop on a piece of sourdough bread and top with avocado slices and then the top piece of bread. Serve cold or press for a warm delicious treat!
.-= Denise´s last blog ..Eggs Benedict =-.
I just made a tuna panini which of course does not fit the criteria, but good luck to everyone!!!
my panini would be
ciabatta bread w/ turkey, brie, tomatoes, basil and some fresh mozarella drizzled with some balsamic vinegar
Here’s one I love making…
Sourdough (or French) Bread
Sliced Bananas (or apples would be good, too)
Chocolate (I use Nutella)
Peanut Butter
It’s like a peanut butter cup with the addition of fruit! You could also drizzle some honey in there. To die for! A great snack or dessert!
.-= Rosalyn´s last blog ..California Roll Bowl =-.
I love sour dough with slices of roasted turkey , crisp apple bacon , muenster cheese and raspberry jelly! Mmmmm!
My number one selling Panini at my wine bar is:
Brie/apple and walnuts on grilled tandori bread ( tandori bread makes the best panini’s.
Jim
I came up with this one about a month ago. The combination of savory and sweet is out of this world!
Sourdough bread with applebutter spread on the inside slices
Sliced roasted turkey
Thinly sliced granny smith apples
Applewood bacon, cooked until crisp
Thinly sliced brie
I placed the ingredients in order from the bottom up, buttered the sourdough and let ‘er rip in the panini press for about 8 minutes. Terrific flavor!
What a fun challenge!
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Recipe for Marshmallow Blondies =-.
cranberries
brie
and bacon
on sourdough bread
Oops, I sent that too quick. I would go for sourdough bread with brie, honey, pears, and fresh rosemary! I love it when the brie gets melty with the sweet honey and pears. The rosemary takes it to a new level too! A divine pannini indeed!
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Recipe for Marshmallow Blondies =-.
caramelized onions
king oyster mushroom
brie
ciabatta
I’d start with sourdough bread brushed with olive oil. Add tomatoes, bacon, slices of turkey, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Yum!
Oh maybe a yummy breakfast panini, lets see…
So start with a nice sourdough bread.Add some slices of crispy bacon. top with some scrambled eggs, I love zucchini in my scrabble eggs so lets add some zucchini sauted with some onion. Then some nice cheddar cheese. Ok now I want some breakfast lol
Cool contest!
Sourdough
granny smith apple slices
Lots of Brie
caramelized onions
Love this simple sandwich
This is one my mom taught me and it is great. Ciabatta spread with garlic aioli, turkey, tomato, and havarti cheese. Yum!
.-= Dani´s last blog ..Party and car rides =-.
Sourdough, Turkey, Pesto and Mozzarella!
Oh this is a good one! Sourdough (San Luis Obispo Sourdough that is) with a grilled tuna fillet, thin layer of black olive tapenade, red onion, and sprigs of arugula. Yes, please!
.-= Emily´s last blog ..WEEK 13: Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza (and the great American road trip) =-.
Traverse City Panini
Start with ciabata bread,thin slices of red apples,bacon strips,blue cheese,spring greens with raspberry vinaigrette,walnuts and dried cherries.Lightly oil the bread and grill until golden brown.
Ciabatta bread
Roasted turkey
Carmelized onion
Bacon
Havarti cheese
Yum!!
Ah yes… The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftover Panini is the only answer.
Sourdough bread, roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry optional.
The secret ingredient? Cold leftover gravy used as a spread like mayo.
Can you say heaven?
I would of course use the sourdough, thinly sliced turkey breast, smoked gouda, ripe sliced avocado and honey mustard.
Bacon and Caprese Panini
spinach and basil pesto
tomatoes slices
fresh mozzarella
bacon
focaccia bread
I really want a panini for dinner!!
Readding everyone’s responses has made me hungry, and I JUST ate dinner!
I would put brie, roast turkey, and thinly sliced apple (fuji would be nice) on a baguette with some herbed mayo (I’m thinking thyme?).
mmmm might have to go to the store tomorrow…
The French Press Burger
Layers, from bottom to top:
Slowly caramelized onions
Beef patty, shaped to fit the bread, crusted with mixed peppercorns and nicely charred
Comte (Gruyere) cheese
Crispy bacon
A light drizzle of Brandy-peppercorn sauce
All on a split, thin baguette or Cuban roll, brushed with butter to get nicely toasted on the grill
I’m always fascinated when you whip up a dessert panini. So I’d love to see something with chocolate. I wonder if it wouldn’t be really yummy to make some sort of homemade savory pumpkin spiked bread and then melt chocolate, walnuts, and marshmallow inside. Obviously I just need to eat breakfast….
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Grilled Tuna Rolls =-.
Made this one last night:
Oven roasted tomatoes, onions & garlic along with very thin sirloin pork chops. Sprinkled with balsamic vinegar.
Layered this on homemade foccacia with mozarella cheese and basil.
How fun!
Well here is something that I’ve been meaning to try. It’s something I heard about called a “hypocrite” burger, where you top a veggie burger with bacon strips! LOL!
Here’s how I would make my version:
Wheat french bread smeared with a creamy sweet chipotle sauce, stacked with a Morningstar Farms garden veggie patty slathered with avocado, sprinkled generously with crisp, crumbly bits of bacon, and topped off with some nice, fresh rings of red onion.
Yum!
.-= Jordan´s last blog ..Dark chocolate (Nutella) almond cookies =-.
Bambini Panini:
For the little ones in your life
Sour Dough bread (the end pieces that are too small to serve to adults
Light Bologna
American Cheese
Catsup or sliced tomato
Fun!! Here’s one that’s sounding FABULOUS to me:
Sourdough Bread
Garlic Hummus
Roasted Turkey
Mushrooms sauteed in olive oil/salt
Tomatoes
Swiss Cheese
Now I want one…. bad!! 🙂
.-= fittingbackin´s last blog ..My Blogiversary: My First Year of Fitting Back In + Progress Pics =-.
I’m going to have to go with a Naan panini with spicy chicken tikka, a raita sauce made with yogurt, tomatoes, onions and apples, and topped off with a drizzle of sour pomegranate paste. Sounds odd but it tastes good!
Here’s my idea for a fabulous Summer Panini:
-Sourdough bread
-brie
-thinly sliced peaches
-strips of red bell pepper
-a sprinkle of green onions
-a sprinkle of fresh cilantro
-a squeeze of a wedge of lime
-a dash of cayenne pepper
mmmm!
.-= Lori @ RecipeGirl´s last blog ..Raspberry- Lemonade Biscotti (with Roasted Raspberries) =-.
oooh, fun! Here’s mine. I’m craving breakfast right now (yup, at 10pm, lol)
Fried Egg
Bacon
Oven Roasted tomatoes
Roasted garlic spread on Sourdough Bread
Yum!
.-= Sara @ Our Best Bites´s last blog ..Fresh Basil Pesto =-.
Sauteed apples and caramelized onions with cheddar on sourdough bread.
Yum!
Oh, yum! I would make a breakfast panini w/ the sourdough bread, scrambled eggs, a little bacon and tomatoes! Yum!! (The chocolate would be for desert! he he)
Ooh! How fabulous! I think apples and brie for sure. I wonder how bacon would go with those? A little savory crunch with the sweet? I may have to try this…
.-= Erin @ One Particular Kitchen´s last blog ..Sandy’s chocolate cake =-.
Mmmm…..
Caramelized onions, bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes and brie, on sourdough. The egg would get runny, the cheese would melt, and the onions add that bit of sweet. I would probably add some fresh oregano as well.
Fingers crossed!
.-= Claire´s last blog ..Wisconsin – The Wonderful Land of Food on (and off) a Stick =-.
sourdough bread
turkey
green chile’s
avocado
pepperjack cheese
Yum!
Summertime Grilled “Panini” w/chicken, prosciutto, mozzarella, basil and tomato
Thinly sliced chicken breasts
vinegar and oil salad dressing
salt, pepper
ciabatta
extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt
peeled garlic clove, halved
tomato half
fresh mozzarella, sliced
prosciutto–thinly sliced
basil leaves–lots to cover bread
thinly sliced red, ripe tomato
balsamic vinegar
Brush chicken breast pieces with the oil and vinegar dressing, season with salt and pepper. Slice ciabatta loaf horizontally. Preheat panini grill. Cook chicken breasts 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Set aside. Lightly toast cut sides of bread on grill. Brush with olive oil, rub vigorously with cut side of garlic clove, rub with tomato half and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Layer chicken breast, mozzarella slices, prosciutto, basil and tomato onto prepared ciabatta. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put top of ciabatta over all. Brush outside of ciabatta with olive oil and grill two or three minutes until outside’s lightly toasted and cheese is starting to melt.
Cut into sections and serve.
Oops! I forgot the carmalized red onions. Sorry.
Saute 1 thinly sliced red onion in a tablespoon of butter until cooked down, brown and carmalized. Layer onto panini after prosciutto, before basil and tomato.
Sorry.
mmm… I would make:
sourdough bread with bacon, thin slices of apple and extra sharp cheddar cheese!
Ok, now I’m hungry!! ;o)
.-= Annalise´s last blog ..our little foodie! =-.
How fun!
I would probably do
Apples
Bacon
Cheddar
carmelized onions
on a dark rye bread 😀
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Published :D, a layout and I won some goodies! =-.
I would use a Mexican tortilla idea and use sourdough bread sliced thin like a tortilla. To this I would add brie cheese and put some shaved Mexican chocolate mixed with cinnamon over it. Top with another slice of sourdough bread, put in the grill until crisp and enjoy a treat.
sourdough
brie
chocolate
also known as a “way better smore”
or from food not on this list,
old cheddar
honey
rosemary
There is something about honey & rosemary together.
Boy, could I use this. My panini press died last week. Thanks.
BTW, I am having a giveawy on my blog http://www.cybercookscookingcorner.blogspot.com Not nearly as nice as this but you can purchase a panini cookbook.
.-= Carole Resnick´s last blog ..IT"S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME =-.
Olive Bread
Honey Roasted Ham
Brie Cheese
Apple Slices
Dijon Mustard
mmm…happiness in a panini!
There has been a lot of blogging lately about bacon and chocolate combinations, and I think that it would be great to try for a panini, so: chocolate, bacon, sour dough bread buttered, all drizzled with maple syrup before placing in the panini machine. Thanks!
Apple, Brie and honey Glazed Bacon on Sourdough
My favorite
Sourdough bread
Fontina cheese
Prociutto (or bacon to fit the rules)
Fig jam
arugula
olive oil
mmmmmmmmm
Sourdough bread, caramelized onions (with a little brown sugar), havarti cheese, sliced avocado, smoked turkey, and applewood smoked bacon.
What a fun idea. I would love a panini with
Chicken
Brie
Caramelized onions
apples slices
grilled on foccacia bread!
Yum!
What a fun challenge, I am glad I finally got around to blogging tonight!
My “Top Chef” creation would combine all my favorite flavor combos.
I would take a 4 inch square ciabatta roll, top it with brie, apricot jam, balsamic caramelized onions and a lot (mustard freak) of Dijon mustard.
Pressed, sealed, eaten. I am happy.
.-= Melissa LaCaille´s last blog ..October 2008 =-.