Carnitas Pineapple Panini

This carnitas pineapple panini is made with the meat from the Pioneer Woman’s Carnitas Pizza. Mouthwatering in every bite.

If yesterday’s carnitas pizza didn’t convince you that you need to try out the meat in that recipe, today’s post will. Unless you’re a vegetarian, in which case you’ve probably already exited out of here. Sorry, come back tomorrow, I have alcohol for you!

In my pineapple soaked meat induced haze, there was only one thing to be done with the leftover carnitas.

Paninify it with more pineapple and cheddar cheese.

This would be my 5% for last week and while I usually reserve such occasions for chocolate, there was no beating this greasy deliciousness.

It’s messy, sweet & savory with the perfect contrast of crispy chewy bread on the outside to soft, melt in your mouth carnitas on the inside. As I stood over the counter eating this (because waiting a second longer to get from the panini maker to the table was unthinkable) all I could think about was how this would be an awesome contender for that Guy Fieri show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

That’s something I never thought I’d say in reference to food on here, but there it is. Embrace it.

Do you want to know how nice of a person I am? I’ll tell you.

I shared this. I only ate half and saved the other one for Ulysses.

It might’ve been his birthday and I might not have been so nice the other 364 days of the year.

Just being real.

Carnitas Pineapple Panini

Author: Gina Matsoukas

This carnitas pineapple panini is made with the meat from the Pioneer Woman's Carnitas Pizza. Mouthwatering in every bite.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 1 servings

Ingredients

  

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• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1/2 cup carnitas
• 3 slices pineapple rings core removed
• 1/4 cup baby spinach
• 8 thin slices of sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon soft butter

Instructions

 

• Preheat panini griddle to medium-high or, if doing stop top, heat a skillet or griddle to medium high.
• Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread.
• Flip the bread over and layer cheese on both pieces.
• Next lay the pineapple rings on one piece of bread and then the meat on top of that.
• Finish with a handful of baby spinach on the piece of bread with just the cheese and flip that piece on top of the other to make a sandwich.
• Transfer to panini maker or skillet and press for about 3-5 minutes until cheese is sufficiently melted and oozing.
• Slice and half and enjoy warm.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1SERVING | Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1105mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1314IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 3mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Cuisine American

Course Main Dishes

Keyword carnitas pineapple panini, pineapple carnitas panini

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Gina Matsoukas

About

Gina Matsoukas is the writer, founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.