Meatloaf Panini
Thick meatloaf slices grilled in panini bread with melty provolone and tangy mustard aioli.
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 45 min · Total: 1 hr 5 min · Serves: 6 · Difficulty: Medium · Rating: 4/5 (134 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Once Upon a Thyme — Chehalis, WA
Inspired by Once Upon a Thyme in Chehalis, WA — a cozy spot where comfort food gets a gourmet twist and every sandwich tells a story.
Story
I pulled into Chehalis, Washington on a gray Tuesday in October 2021, the kind of day where the drizzle never commits to actual rain, and ate lunch at Once Upon a Thyme because a guy at the gas station told me to. The meatloaf panini came out pressed flat, the ciabatta scored with dark grill lines, and when I bit in the provolone had gone past melted into that stretchy, slightly browned stage that only happens under weight. The mustard aioli was sharper than I expected. That sharpness is the whole reason the sandwich works. Here is what most home cooks get wrong: they slice the meatloaf hot. You bake the loaf, you are hungry, you cut into it, and it crumbles into gravel because the proteins haven't set and the rendered fat is still liquid. Let it rest a full ten minutes, then refrigerate the slab if you have the patience. Cold meatloaf slices into clean, thick slabs that hold together on the flat-top instead of falling apart into the cheese. The other mistake is under-toasting. You want the bread on the press long enough that the bottom side turns the color of a manila envelope, because that crust is the only thing keeping the whole construction from going soggy. Meatloaf is a Depression-era stretch food, ground beef padded with breadcrumbs and eggs to feed more people for less money, and somewhere along the line American diners figured out that yesterday's meatloaf makes a better sandwich than it ever made a dinner. The panini version is just that logic taken to its conclusion: griddle it, melt cheese over it, give it a coat of armor. Don't skimp on the Worcestershire in the loaf and don't skip the garlic powder. A bland meatloaf makes a bland sandwich, and no amount of toasting fixes flavor that was never there. Make the loaf a day ahead. You'll thank yourself. One more thing about the press: don't crank the heat all the way up. A medium flat-top gives the cheese time to fully melt and ooze toward the edges before the bread scorches, and the slow press is what fuses the two halves into one object instead of a stack of separate parts. I cut my slabs about three-quarters of an inch thick. Thinner and they dry out under heat; thicker and the center stays cold while the outside burns. The aioli goes on the inside faces of the bread, not on the meat, so it doesn't cook into the loaf and lose its bite.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 6 panini rolls or ciabatta
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Shape into a loaf on a lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes until internal temp reaches 160°F.
- Let meatloaf rest 10 minutes, then slice into thick slabs.
- Mix mayo and whole grain mustard for the aioli.
- Butter outside of panini rolls. Layer meatloaf slices and provolone inside. Spread aioli on bread.
- Press in a panini press or grill in a skillet with a heavy pan on top, 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cheese melts.
Chef Tips
- Day-old meatloaf actually works even better here — it firms up and slices cleaner. Make the meatloaf the night before for the best panini experience.
Cook's Notes
- **Meatloaf mix:** An 80/20 beef-to-pork blend produces a moister, more flavorful result than all-beef. The pork fat keeps the loaf from drying out.
- **Binder tip:** Soaking the breadcrumbs in milk before mixing (a panade) keeps the meatloaf tender and moist throughout. Dry breadcrumbs absorb moisture from the meat as it cooks.
- **Make-ahead:** Meatloaf is excellent made a day ahead — cold meatloaf slices cleanly for the panini without crumbling. Reheat slices in the sandwich press.
- **Storage:** Meatloaf: fridge 4 days, freezer 3 months. Slice and freeze individual portions on a sheet pan before transferring to a bag.
- **Equipment:** A panini press produces the best result — even pressure and heat on both sides. A cast-iron skillet with a foil-wrapped brick or heavy pan as a weight is the home alternative.
- **Common mistake:** Not letting the meatloaf rest before slicing. Cut too early and it crumbles and falls apart. Rest 15 minutes minimum after coming out of the oven.
- **Cheese tip:** Provolone melts smoothly and has enough flavor to stand up to the meatloaf. American cheese melts more completely. Both work better here than cheddar, which can turn greasy.