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A Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab contributor tested nine foods in a panini press, including hash browns, halloumi, frozen meatballs, dumplings and cookie dough. The article gives specific cooking temperatures and times, but results can vary by appliance and food size; meat and poultry should reach the stated internal temperature of 165°F.
A Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab contributor has tested nine ways to use a panini press for foods beyond sandwiches, from hash browns and halloumi to frozen dumplings and chocolate chip cookies. The recommendations include cooking temperatures and times, offering home cooks ideas for using the appliance across meals and snacks.
The contributor said the tests were made using a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle. The appliance’s heated plates contact food from above and below, which can crisp or brown both sides at once. The article presents the foods in a ranked list, from hash browns at No. 9 to chocolate chip cookies at No. 1; that ranking reflects the contributor’s assessment of how surprising the uses are, not a comparative performance score.
For breakfast or a side, frozen hash browns can be spread on a greased press at 450°F for six minutes, according to the article. Halloumi slices are cooked at 350°F for five to six minutes, while leftover cornbread can be pressed between oiled plates at the same temperature for five minutes. Thick challah or brioche soaked in an egg, milk and maple syrup mixture can be cooked as French toast at 350°F for five minutes.
The list also includes frozen, fully cooked meatballs at 400°F for five minutes and frozen chicken nuggets at 400°F for six minutes. For both, the contributor says to cook until the food reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Frozen dumplings are cooked on a greased press at 400°F for nine minutes, also to 165°F. Fresh pineapple rings take three minutes at 425°F, while golf-ball-size portions of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough take six to seven minutes at 350°F, with less time suggested for softer cookies.
9 Foods You Can Make With a Panini Press
One contributor tested nine foods beyond sandwiches using a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle. The settings are a starting point; results can vary by appliance and portion size.
Ideas across meals
The tests span breakfast, sides, snacks and dessert.
French toast
Press thick challah or brioche soaked in egg, milk and maple syrup.
Hash browns and halloumi
The list includes frozen hash browns and browned halloumi slices.
Chocolate chip cookies
Golf-ball-size portions of frozen dough cook in the press.
Tested settings vary
Follow food-specific directions and monitor browning and doneness.
What the list includes
The nine tested foods cover fresh, leftover and frozen items.
Use the settings as a guide
The recommendations came from one contributor’s tests on one named press.
Review its guidance on temperature, greasing plates and cooking frozen foods.
Adjust timing for your press and food size; the listed minutes are not universal.
Use a food thermometer to verify 165°F for the listed meatballs, nuggets and dumplings.
A Press for More Than Sandwiches
The tests suggest a panini press can serve as a small, multipurpose cooking surface for quick meals and snacks, rather than sitting unused between sandwich-making occasions. Its top-and-bottom heat can brown foods such as halloumi and pineapple, crisp starches, and cook portions of frozen prepared foods without first thawing them, according to the contributor’s results.
That may be useful for people looking to make a side dish, reheat leftovers, or prepare a small amount of food without using an oven or stovetop pan. The examples also range from breakfast to dessert, including French toast and cookies. However, the article’s timings are tied to a particular appliance and preparation method; they should be treated as a starting point, not a guarantee for every press, food brand, or portion size.
Food safety remains relevant when using the press for meat-based items. The listed directions specify an internal temperature of 165°F for nuggets, meatballs and dumplings. A cooking time alone does not establish that food has reached a safe temperature, so checking the center with a food thermometer is the more reliable measure.
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How the Nine Tests Were Ranked
The recommendations come from a Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab contributor who said she had assessed dozens of recipes and kitchen products. She identified herself as a contributing analyst, writer and recipe developer in the lab and said she has a culinary degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. The tests described in the article used one named model, the GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle.
The nine items are hash browns, halloumi, frozen fully cooked meatballs, cornbread, chicken nuggets, pineapple rings, French toast, frozen dumplings and chocolate chip cookies. They cover fresh, leftover and frozen foods, but the instructions are not interchangeable: temperatures range from 350°F to 450°F, and cooking times range from three to nine minutes. The ranking places cookies first because they are presented as the most surprising use, not because the article reports a formal head-to-head test against the other foods.
“The hot plates contact food on both sides at once.”
— Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab contributor
Results May Vary by Appliance
The article does not provide the publication date, the number of trials for each food, or results from other panini-press models. It also does not report a controlled comparison with ovens, skillets or other cooking methods. The listed times and temperatures reflect the contributor’s test setup and are not confirmed as universal settings.
Some directions leave practical details open. For example, the dumpling instructions do not specify whether the dumplings should be arranged in a single layer or how their size affects cooking time. The cookie guidance offers a range for softer or crisper results but does not give a dough brand or a specific adjustment for different press designs. The article gives no temperature target for halloumi, pineapple, hash browns, cornbread or French toast beyond the stated appliance settings.
It is also not clear whether every press can set or accurately hold the temperatures listed. Readers should check their appliance’s instructions, monitor food as it cooks, and avoid assuming that the suggested minutes alone establish safe cooking. The article’s 165°F direction applies to the listed meat-based items and dumplings; other foods have different preparation needs.
Check Your Press and Food
The next step for readers is to match the suggested method to the model they own. Check the manufacturer’s guidance on greasing plates, temperature limits and cooking frozen foods, then adjust the timing while watching for browning and doneness. For chicken nuggets and meatballs, use a food thermometer to verify the stated 165°F internal temperature; the article gives the same target for its frozen dumplings.
Further testing across different appliances, brands and portion sizes would help establish how broadly the listed times apply. Until then, these nine ideas are best understood as tested suggestions from one contributor using one press, rather than standardized recipes for every kitchen.
Source: rss
Key Questions
What foods can you make in a panini press besides sandwiches?
The tested list includes hash browns, halloumi, frozen meatballs, cornbread, chicken nuggets, pineapple rings, French toast, dumplings and chocolate chip cookies.
Can you cook frozen foods in a panini press?
The contributor tested frozen hash browns, fully cooked meatballs, chicken nuggets, dumplings and cookie dough. Directions vary by food, and the article says meatballs, nuggets and dumplings should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
How long do frozen dumplings take in a panini press?
The article recommends cooking frozen dumplings on a greased press at 400°F for nine minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. The time may vary with the appliance and dumpling size.
Can a panini press make chocolate chip cookies?
Yes. The contributor tested golf-ball-size portions of frozen cookie dough at 350°F for six to seven minutes, suggesting less time for softer cookies. The article says they may not look exactly like oven-baked cookies.
Do panini-press cooking times work for every model?
That is not established by the article. The tests used a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle, and the article does not report results across other models. Check your appliance’s instructions and monitor food as it cooks.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
