Crab Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grilled cheese sandwiches aren’t uncommon in our household, not at all. They’re easy and good and that’s all you can ask for. But, sometimes I just gotta mix things up. Not crazy mix things up, but crazy good mix things up. The filling in these crab grilled cheese sandwiches is just like a good crab salad. It just needs a little ‘help’, and that comes in the form of melted oooey gooey Swiss cheese on crispy golden bread. A nice crunch then creamy salad and cheese. Perfect.

Crab Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The crab salad inside these crab grilled cheese sandwiches is actually quite good and simple. It’d also be perfect inside appetizer sandwiches. Ya know, the fancy ones they serve at teas.

I used my Cuisinart Griddler to make these sandwiches.

Also try my mushroom grilled cheese and my white pizza grilled cheese sandwiches.

Crab Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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4 from 1 vote

Crab Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The filling in these crab grilled cheese sandwiches is just like a good crab salad. It just needs a little ‘help’, and that comes in the form of melted oooey gooey Swiss cheese on crispy golden bread. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword crab, grilled cheese, sandwich
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 sandwiches
Calories 456kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces lump crab meat picked over for shells
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise plus more, perhaps
  • 4 tablespoons green onions chopped
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 slices bread I used 6 small slices of Vienna bread
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

  • In a bowl combine the crab, mayonnaise, green onions, lemon zest and pepper.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat or turn a panini press on high.
  • Slather one side of each piece of bread with butter.
  • Lay two slices of bread-butter side down in the skillet or onto the panini press.
  • Add a slice of cheese to each, then divide the crab mixture between them.
  • Add remaining slice of cheese to each and top with other piece of bread, butter-side up.
  • Fry until golden brown on the bottom then flip and fry on the other side until done, or close your press and cook until nice and golden brown.
  • Remove from skillet or panini press and slice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1166mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 406mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Buffalo Chicken Panini

I made a nice big ole batch of slow cooker shredded Buffalo chicken the other day. One of my favorite things to make with it is Buffalo chicken panini. It takes only minutes to make yet it’s absolutely packed with flavor. Crunchy bread. Smoky bacon. Ooey gooey cheese. Tangy blue cheese (or gorgonzola if you prefer a little milder flavor). Kickin’ chicken. And cool, crunchy slaw.

Buffalo Chicken Panini

I could eat a Buffalo chicken panini all day long. My Cuisinart Griddler does a great job of crisping up the bread and melting the cheese. I use my Griddler for everything from breakfast to dinner. Check out my other recipes all made with the Griddler!

Buffalo Chicken Panini
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5 from 1 vote

Buffalo Chicken Panini

One of my favorite things to make with it is Buffalo chicken panini. It takes only minutes to make yet it’s absolutely packed with flavor. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword Buffalo, chicken, sandwich
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 sandwiches
Calories 618kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bread thick slices
  • butter
  • 2 slices Swiss cheese
  • 4 slices thick bacon cooked
  • ½ cup Buffalo chicken shredded, warmed (see our slow-cooker or Big Easy recipes for making Buffalo chicken)
  • 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbled
  • ½ cup coleslaw mix
  • 2 tablespoons Ranch dressing

Instructions

  • Preheat a panini press or skillet.
  • Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread.
  • Place two slices butter-side down on the press or in the skillet.
  • Divide cheese and bacon between sandwiches.
  • Combine the chicken with the blue cheese and divide between the sandwiches.
  • Mix the slaw and Ranch dressing and divide between the sandwiches.
  • Add remaining bread slices butter-side up and close press.
  • Cook until the bread is toasted and golden. If using a skillet flip the sandwiches once the bottom is done and cook the other side until toasted and golden.

Nutrition

Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 2904mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 264mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Sweet and Savory Turkey Panini

We made an awesome Cajun-injected turkey breast on our Char-Broil Big Easy for Christmas this year. Since it was just the two of us we ended up with quite a bit of leftover turkey meat. The last time we had extra turkey we made the most outstandingly good chipotle turkey salad sandwiches. This time, we made a sweet and savory turkey panini that was beyond fantastic. Maple bacon, crispy fried shallots, cheese, and chipotle mayonnaise. A little heat, a little crunch, a whole lot of flavor.

Sweet and Savory Turkey Panini

After making a sweet and savory turkey panini you’ll want to put chipotle mayonnaise on every sandwich you ever make. And you’ll want to top them with fried shallots. Trust me. It happened to me. I went on a fried shallot kick like the world has never seen! They’re like onion rings but so much better. The cayenne pepper really goes well against the sweetness of the shallots.

I made this sandwich on my Cuisinart Griddler. It is a sandwich-cooking beast of a kitchen tool. I use mine often, for a heck of a lot more than sandwiches, too. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it doesn’t matter. It can handle it.

My toasted Italian sandwich, also made using a Griddler, is also fantastic.

Sweet and Savory Turkey Panini
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5 from 1 vote

Sweet and Savory Turkey Panini

Maple bacon, crispy fried shallots, cheese, and chipotle mayonnaise. A little heat, a little crunch, a whole lot of flavor.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword sandwich, turkey
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 926kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Add enough oil to a small Dutch oven or pot to have 2″ of oil. Heat to 375 F.
  • Preheat a large skillet, Griddler, or panini press.
  • Line a baking sheet pan with foil and add bacon. Do not overlap (use a second baking sheet if you need to). Bake 10 minutes, flip and bake another 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness) until starting to crisp. Remove and place bacon on a paper-towel lined plate. Cover to keep warm.
  • Combine the flour, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
  • Add the shallots and toss to coat well.
  • Working in batches, shake off excess flour mixture and add shallots to the hot oil.
  • Fry 2-3 minutes per side until crispy golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
  • Whisk together the mayo, chipotles, adobo sauce, cilantro, lemon and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Cut bread loaf in half horizontally.
  • Slather bread with chipotle mayonnaise on both cut sides.
  • Add cheese, bacon, shallots, turkey to bottom bread piece and cover with top piece. Cut into 8 sandwiches.
  • Brush tops of sandwiches with melted butter.
  • Working in batches, cook sandwiches 3-4 minutes until bread starts to crisp. If cooking in a skillet cover sandwich with another skillet to press down on it while cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 926kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 1378mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate.