Sheet Pan Paninis Recipe Test

by Barry Lewis

I Tried Making 48 Paninis in One Tray – Sandwich Mayhem Ensued

What’s better than one panini? Apparently, 48 of them. In one tray. At the same time. Yep — I saw the viral Tasty recipe for Sheet Pan Party Paninis and thought, “go on then, let’s see if it’s actually possible.”

This one was chaotic, cheesy, and honestly… a bit of a workout.

Where This All Started

This recipe has been floating around online promising to deliver dozens of paninis baked together in a single go. Sounded ideal for a party. Or maybe a rugby team.

Of course, I had to try it out for the Barry Tries series — because nothing says sensible kitchen decision like turning your oven into a deli counter.

What You’re Getting Into

This isn’t your average sandwich recipe — it’s a full-blown flavour fiesta packed into a single tray. The idea is simple: shingle slices of bread, layer up different fillings (everything from cheesesteak to tomato basil mozzarella), top with more bread, and bake the whole thing like some kind of toasted sandwich lasagne.

You press it all down with a second baking tray and let the oven do its thing. The result? A golden, crunchy, gooey sheet of paninis you can slice into squares and serve to anyone brave enough to eat your entire fridge contents in one bite.

Step 1: Butter & Bread

Pour half of the melted butter onto a large sheet tray and brush it around to coat the whole surface. Then, shingle (lay overlapping) 12 slices of bread across the tray so the whole base is covered.

Step 2: Choose Your Fillings

This part’s customisable – the original recipe offers 6 sandwich types:

  • Ham & Cheese – cheddar + ham + cheddar
  • Chicken-Bacon-Ranch – Monterey Jack + chicken + bacon + ranch
  • Roast Beef & Onion – cheddar + roast beef + onions
  • Cheesesteak – provolone + steak + onions + peppers
  • Turkey-Bacon-Avocado – mozzarella + turkey + bacon + avocado
  • Tomato Basil Mozzarella – fresh mozz + tomato + basil + sundried tomato

Pick one, some, or all. I tried to cram in as many as I could, which turned into a kind of savoury sandwich jigsaw.

Step 3: Top & Press

Once all your fillings are in, shingle the other 12 slices of bread over the top. Brush with the rest of your melted butter. Then, press it all down with another sheet pan and weigh it down with something heavy (cast iron pans, bricks, your soul, etc).

Step 4: Bake Twice

  • First bake: 20 mins with the weights on
  • Second bake: remove the weights + top tray and bake another 20 mins until golden and crispy

Step 5: Flip & Serve

Remove from the oven, carefully flip onto a big board, and slice into squares.

What Went Well (and What Didn’t)

Pros:

  • You can feed loads of people quickly
  • Customisable fillings — no sandwich is the same
  • Satisfying crunch and melt action

Cons:

  • Getting it evenly pressed and baked is tricky
  • It’s a lot of ingredients (and butter… so much butter)
  • Not super practical for two people, unless you’re very hungry

Would I Do It Again?

Yes — but only for a crowd. It’s a fun one-off, a total spectacle, and surprisingly tasty. Perfect for a party or feeding a small army.

Watch the Full Video

Catch the whole cheesy journey on YouTube above: Or watch the video here

Original Recipe

Try it yourself with the full Tasty breakdown: https://tasty.co/recipe/sheet-pan-party-paninis

Tried it? Let me know — and show me how yours turned out (bonus points if it didn’t collapse)… oh and if you liked this, you may like 8 desserts in 1 pan

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