Roast Pork Panini with Olive Salad
These paninis combine salty, spicy salami with roasted pork tenderloin in a way that might remind you of a muffuletta sandwich.
Serves4 to 6
Prep15 minutes
Cook10 minutes to 12 minutes
Welcome to Rollover Dinners, a series to help you make smart use of leftovers. In this post we’re using leftovers from this sheet pan pork tenderloin to make these pressed paninis. Read the intro post here.
Making sandwiches for dinner has been one of my favorite ways to fight cooking fatigue. Similar to tacos, they’re the perfect vehicle for fridge scraps, and often yield tastier results. Currently, I’m having a love affair with my panini press, which churns out crispy sandwiches full of gooey, melty cheese.
These paninis combine salty, spicy salami with roasted pork tenderloin in a way that might remind you of a muffuletta sandwich. If you’ve got leftover pork and roasted vegetables, all you need is a jar of olives, bread, and a few deli staples, and dinner will be done in less than 20 minutes.
For Quick Olive Salad, Give Roasted Veggies a Blitz
The brilliance of this Rollover Recipe is that it transforms leftover roasted vegetables into a quick condiment that’s similar to the olive salad you find in delis. A whole jar of Castelvetrano olives get pulsed together with about a cup of roasted vegetables, giving each sandwich a punch of flavor while also working in plenty of veggies. If you skipped the sheet pan dinner, you can grab both olive salad and roasted pork from the grocery store deli counter.
No panini press? Use a hot oven and two sheet pans to mimic one — a trick I borrowed from these Cubano Sheet Pan Sliders. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, assemble the sandwiches, and brush with a little olive oil. Place onto the baking sheet and top with more parchment paper and a second baking sheet. Bake the whole thing at 400ºF for about 10 minutes with another heavy pan on top of the second sheet pan to weigh it down — I use my cast iron skillet. This trick never fails to deliver crisp bread and melty cheese, just like my beloved panini press.
Roast Pork Panini with Olive Salad
These paninis combine salty, spicy salami with roasted pork tenderloin in a way that might remind you of a muffuletta sandwich.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes to 12 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 (5-ounce) jar
Castelvetrano olives
- 1 cup
leftover roasted vegetables, such as cauliflower, peppers, and onion
- 1 loaf
French bread or focaccia
- 1/4 cup
- 6 ounces
roasted pork tenderloin
- 4 ounces
sliced salami
- 4 ounces
sliced provolone cheese
Instructions
Drain a 5-ounce jar Castelvetrano olives. Place the olives and 1 cup leftover roasted vegetables in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until finely, irregularly chopped.
Use a serrated knife to cut 1 loaf French bread in half horizontally. Spread the bottom half with 1/4 cup pesto. Thinly slice 6 ounces roasted pork tenderloin and lay on top of the pesto. Layer 4 ounces sliced salami and 4 ounces sliced provolone cheese on the pork. Spoon the tapenade on top the cheese and close with the top half of the bread.
Option 1: Panini press. Preheat a panini press to high. Cut the sandwich crosswise if needed to fit in the panini press. Working in batches if needed, press the sandwich until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the panini press and cut crosswise into smaller sandwiches to serve.
Option 2: Oven pressing. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF. Place the sandwich on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and brush the top of the bread with a little oil. Cover with a second sheet of parchment and place a second baking sheet on top. Place a heavy oven-safe pan, such as a cast iron skillet, on top of the second baking sheet to weigh it down. Bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, about 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into smaller sandwiches to serve.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.