Healthy Panini Recipes

This hawawshi--a hot sandwich that's a favorite Cairo street food--is filled with ground beef, vegetables, herbs and spices and adapted to be made in a home panini press. If you don't have one, cook it in a skillet over medium heat with another skillet on top, weighted down with a few 15-ounce cans. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty in this healthy sandwich recipe--the oil coats roasted cauliflower florets with flavor, while the chopped bits of tomato add color and bursts of umami. Don't have a panini maker? Cook these grilled cheese sandwiches in a skillet over medium heat. Place another skillet on top, weighted down with four 15-ounce cans, to press them.

This warm panini recipe is an easy choice when you're preparing lunch for four. Each sandwich is loaded with a full cup of spinach and flavorful basil and feta cheese--so tasty!

Another time, use the subtly seasoned Dried Tomato-Pepper Spread to spiff up a cold turkey sandwich.

You don't need a panini press to enjoy these easy chicken salad panini sandwiches.

These flavor-packed grilled sandwiches get plenty of fiber from cabbage, apple and whole-wheat bread.

Add healthy fats, a little protein and plenty of flavor to your grilled cheese sandwich with this tasty Mediterranean-style panini recipe.

Meaty portobello mushrooms and sautéed collards turn this easy grilled cheese recipe into a healthy meal. If you don't have Dijonnaise on hand, make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard into 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.

Lots of colorful vegetables and salsa make this cheesy panini prettier than any grilled cheese you've ever seen. The small amount of Cheddar cheese in this sandwich goes a long way because it is shredded and sharp. Serve with a mixed salad and you've got a delightful lunch or light supper. If you happen to have a panini maker, go ahead and skip Step 3 and grill the panini according to the manufacturer's directions.

Grilled or broiled eggplant has a meaty texture and taste that, when piled on a sandwich with some tangy feta cheese, will satisfy even the most die-hard carnivores.

In this delicious grilled cheese recipe, jalapeño popper flavors are stuffed into a toasty chicken sandwich. Serve with a mixed green salad. P.S. Don't toss the jalapeño pickling liquid: use the flavorful brine in place of vinegar in dressings.

Sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella give this easy tuna sandwich recipe Italian flair. Serve with a green salad with a red-wine vinaigrette for a light lunch or dinner.

This vegetarian panini recipe--filled with layers of sautéed kale, garden-fresh tomatoes and melted cheese--makes for an extra-special grilled cheese sandwich. For the best flavor, we like the complexity of aged Gruyère or fontina, but you can use any cheese you have on hand.

For a great sandwich filling, spike canned tuna with salty olives and capers, bright lemon juice and tangy feta.

A creamy spread full of Parmesan and fresh basil cozies up to turkey and summer-ripe tomato slices for a savory hot sandwich that will quickly become a go-to mealtime solution.