This Leftover Ham and Cheese Panini is perfect for Easter, Christmas or holiday leftovers. This sandwich is made with sourdough bread, swiss and mozzarella cheese, then grilled and pressed to perfection.
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My Air Fryer Glazed Ham recipe is on the menu for holidays like Christmas and Easter! There's always leftover ham. Once I've gotten tired of eating the standard leftovers, I like to re-purpose the food into different meals. This sandwich is pretty epic and will do just that!
Table of Contents
Ham Glaze
The Ham Glaze from Primal Kitchen will take your sandwich to the next level. The taste is rich and I can taste hints of pineapple, clove, and cinnamon. It's absolutely perfect for a warm sandwich. It isn't just for glazing ham! It works wonderfully as a glaze for veggies, too.
This glaze is Whole30 Approved®, paleo-friendly, and made with no soy, no canola, and no dairy.
What's a Panini?
The word panino is similar and it is Italian and means bread roll and small bread. It's a sandwich served warm and is usually grilled or toasted.
I love to make them because the grill marks make the bread so crunchy! And if you use a cast iron there's so much flavor! The melted cheese paired with ham is nothing short of amazing.
Do You Have to Use a Panini Maker
Using a panini maker is a fast way to make this recipe and it will also crisp the bread and add grill marks.
You can also use a cast iron or cast iron grill pan. You can even use your air fryer! You won't get the grill marks, but check out my Air Fryer Grilled Cheese recipe. You can follow the same instructions.
How to Make a Ham and Cheese Panini
- Spread butter over both slices of bread.
- Flip the bread slices and spread ham glaze over the other sides. Add ham, cheese, and spinach to the bread and form a sandwich.
What Type of Bread to Use
You can use any bread you like. Any bread will crisp. Paninis are often made with ciabatta. I went with sourdough bread for this one.
Best Cheese to Use
You can also use whatever cheese you like. Swiss typically pairs well with ham. If you want an intense cheese pull, mozzarella will work wonderfully. Cheddar cheese is also great.
Substitutions or Add-Ins
- Mashed Avocado
- Tomatoes (remove the seeds first)
- Onions
- Cooked Eggs
- Red Peppers
- Sundried Tomatoes
How Many Calories
Each sandwich has 396 calories.
Recipe Tips
- For crunchy bread with fine grill marks you will need oil, such as olive oil or butter.
- Thick-cut bread works best.
- Cook in batches if necessary.
Pair This Sandwich With These Recipes
Air Fryer French Fries
Roasted Ranch Potatoes
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Southern Macaroni Salad
Keto Broccoli Salad
How to Make a Charcuterie Cheese Board
Ham Potato and Vegetable Soup
Turkey and Cheese Sliders
Traeger Smoked Turkey
Leftover Ham and Cheese Panini
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Ingredients
- 2 slices bread I used sourdough.
- 1 teaspoon butter Melted
- 1-2 tablespoons Primal Kitchen Ham Glaze
- 2 slices swiss cheese
- 2 oz sliced ham
- fresh spinach or lettuce
- cooking oil If using a cast iron or grill pan. I use olive oil.
Instructions
- Spread the butter over both slices of bread.
- Flip the bread slices and spread the ham glaze over the other sides. Add the ham, cheese, and spinach, to the bread and form a sandwich.
Panini Press
- Add the sandwich to a panini press and press down firmly for 5-10 seconds. Allow the sandwich to cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
Air Fryer
- Add the sandwich to the air fryer basket. Anchor the sandwich with a trivet (you can use anything that's oven safe) to prevent it moving around in the air fryer.
- Air fry on 370 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Open the air fryer fry and flip the sandwich. Air fry on 370 degrees for an additional 3-4 minutes or until crisp.
Pan or Grill Pan Skillet (A cast iron works best)
- Heat the skillet on medium-high heat. Glaze the pan with olive oil to prevent sticking. Use enough to coat the surface you will be using.
- Add the sandwich to the pan.
- Cook both sides for 3-4 minutes each or until crisp.
Notes
- For crunchy bread with fine grill marks you will need oil, such as olive oil or butter.
- Thick-cut bread works best.
- Cook in batches if necessary
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Ramya says
sorry just saw this now will be making this soon can i use mushroom vegan butter and cheese as am a vegan can i skip ham glaze as i dont have it in Singapore perfect for my after office snacks will dm you if i make this and LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES THANKS RAMYA
staysnatched says
I hope you enjoyed it!
Cassandra says
Omg Brandi has another home run on her hands! I did our sandwiches in the air fryer and they were delish. I can honestly say I haven’t made a recipe from StaySnatched that didn’t have me reaching for more. If have not made this sandwich, go make it now!!
staysnatched says
YAY! I'm so glad to hear it!
Emily says
Made this with our leftover honey baked ham. We always love Brandi’s suggestions for ways to spice up leftovers!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
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Ian p Harris says
I love to get recipe of all kinds of sandwich please
staysnatched says
Here you go: https://www.staysnatched.com/category/sandwiches-and-wraps/