These Ham, Apple, and Swiss Panini are the PERFECT fall sandwiches! It’s a great way to take advantage of the crisp, juicy apples this season offers. And if you’re looking for a way to use up leftover holiday ham, this is it (but deli ham will do just fine).
Oh man. That salty, juicy ham. Those sweet, crisp apples. The creamy and tangy mayo and dijon mustard sauce. That glorious, melty swiss cheese. And that satisfying crunch as you bite into each toasty, buttery bite. This is definitely my new favorite sandwich!
Zach and I were recently gifted a panini press for our anniversary in July. I don’t know how we ever lived without it. Previously, I would make grilled sandwiches in my cast iron skillet (and you certainly can use a grill pan or skillet, if you don’t have a press, for this recipe). But the result paled in comparison to sandwiches made in the panini press. If you don’t have one, and you’re a fan of things like grilled cheese, GET ONE!
The panini press perfectly toasts the outside of the bread without overcooking it, making a super thin, buttery, toasted layer on the outside. The grill marks are perfection. It’s easy to clean because it’s nonstick. It cooks the sandwiches in only about 3 minutes at the perfect temperature. AND, there’s no flipping involved, since it cooks on the top and the bottom! I almost always end up destroying a sandwich if I try and flip it.
Try these ham, apple, and swiss panini with some butternut squash and thyme soup for a wonderful fall meal.
And if I’ve convinced you to get a panini press, I recommend this Cuisinart Griddler. The best part about it is that it adjusts to the width of the sandwich and cooks the top flat, so you don’t have to worry about one end cooking faster than the other. The sandwiches come out perfect every time!
Ham, Apple, and Swiss Panini
Equipment
- Panini Press
Ingredients
- 8 slices multigrain bread
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 8 oz. thick-sliced ham pieces
- 1 small apple cored and thinly sliced
- 8 oz. swiss cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat panini press (alternatively, you can use a grill pan or skillet if you don't have one).
- Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on each slice of bread. Flip bread over.
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise (2 tablespoons) and dijon mustard (2 tablespoons) together. On the non-buttered side of the bread, spread 1/2 tablespoon of mixture on each slice.
- On four slices of bread, stack the ham, apple slices, and swiss cheese evenly in that order. Flip the remaining slices of bread butter side up on top to complete the four sandwiches.
- Add the sandwiches one or two at a time (depending on how big your panini press is) to the press, pressing down firmly for 5 seconds and leaving it to cook for approximately 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and the cheese is melted on the inside.
- Serve hot off the press!
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Mary
What type of apple did you use on the panini?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I used fuji, I like them because they are sweet, but you can use any kind you want!