Neat Food Idea: Panini Pops

Happy Cinco de mayo and Happy 15 month birthday to Maddycakes! I could give you a ton of Mexican holiday inspirational party pics but you can go to any other blog and see that. So today I bring you the dish I am best at...grilled cheese! HA!! Perfect for your next playdate, or kid’s birthday party, Panini Happy came up with this adorable idea! These are basically mini grilled cheese sandwiches on a stick, so you can choose whatever bread and cheese you like. It’s probably best to stick with the semi-firm cheeses, as soft cheeses may melt too much to hold the lollipop sticks in place.

INGREDIENTS

Sliced country-style bread (relatively dense is best, I used sourdough)
Cheese (semi-firm, such as cheddar)
Finely crumbled or minced add-ins (e.g., bacon, herbs, peppers, olives)
Lollipop sticks (Wilton’s)
Cookie cutters

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375°).

Assemble your panini, incorporating a generous amount of cheese to ensure there will be enough to hold the lollipop sticks in place.

Grill the panini for about 4 minutes until golden grill marks appear. Remove from the heat and immediately cut out shapes with cookie cutters (NOTE: If you’re using a metal cutter it will get HOT very quickly, so take care not to burn your fingers) and insert lollipop sticks.

Depending on the cheese you’re using you may need to wait a minute or two for the cheese to set the stick in place before serving. Enjoy!

Happy Cinco de mayo!!

Until Next Time...Happy Planning