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Good Housekeeping published nine tested ways to use a panini press for foods beyond sandwiches, from hash browns and halloumi to dumplings and cookie dough. Its instructions include appliance temperatures and cooking times; frozen meatballs, chicken nuggets and dumplings should reach 165°F internally.
Good Housekeeping has outlined nine ways to use a panini press beyond sandwiches, including cooking hash browns, halloumi, frozen dumplings and chocolate chip cookies. The report’s contributing Kitchen & Cooking Lab analyst, Lizzy Briskin, says she tested the ideas using a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle, offering home cooks a set of temperatures and approximate cooking times for putting the appliance to use across meals and dessert.
The suggestions range from breakfast and sides to snacks and sweets. For frozen hash browns, the report says to grease the plates, spread the potatoes over the press and cook at 450°F for six minutes. The potatoes are intended to join into a thin, crisp cake. Halloumi slices cook at 350°F for five to six minutes, until marked and soft in the center, while leftover cornbread can be pressed between oiled plates at 350°F for five minutes.
Several ideas start with frozen prepared food. The report gives a cooking time of five minutes at 400°F for fully cooked frozen meatballs and six minutes at the same temperature for frozen chicken nuggets. For both, it says to check that the food reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Frozen dumplings are cooked on greased plates at 400°F for about nine minutes, or until they also reach 165°F. The instructions are specific to the report’s test, and appliance performance may differ.
For fruit and breakfast, Good Housekeeping suggests grilling pineapple rings at 425°F for three minutes and cooking egg-, milk- and maple-soaked thick bread at 350°F for five minutes. For dessert, golf-ball-size portions of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough cook at 350°F for six to seven minutes. The report says shorter cooking may suit people who prefer softer cookies; it cautions that their appearance may differ from oven-baked cookies.
More Uses From One Countertop Appliance
The list presents the press as a way to cook or re-crisp foods without relying on a separate pan or baking tray for each task. Its top-and-bottom heated plates contact food at once, which the report identifies as useful for crisping and browning. For readers who already own the appliance, the ideas offer practical alternatives to using it only for grilled sandwiches.
The report also gives readers a starting point rather than just recipe inspiration: most entries pair a temperature with a cooking time, and the instructions for several frozen foods include a safety temperature. That makes the advice easier to apply, while still leaving room to check food during cooking because models, food sizes and starting conditions can vary.
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How the Ideas Were Tested
The suggestions come from a Good Housekeeping report by Lizzy Briskin, identified as a contributing analyst, writer and recipe developer in the publication’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab. The supplied report says she assessed recipes and kitchen equipment and tried the listed foods on a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle. It ranks the nine uses from least to most surprising, with hash browns at number nine and cookies at number one.
Briskin’s experience provides the basis for the specific examples, but the source material does not describe a comparative test across multiple panini press brands or models. The reported times should be read as results from the named appliance, not as a guarantee that every press will cook the same food in the same time.
“The hot plates contact food on both sides at once.”
— Good Housekeeping report
Times May Differ by Press
The supplied report does not give a publication date, test results for other appliances, or a broader comparison of panini press models. It is also not clear whether every unit has the same temperature controls or plate size as the GreenPan model used in testing. Cooking times are therefore examples from that test, rather than universal guarantees.
The report does not provide full ingredient lists or detailed recipes for every idea. For frozen foods, it specifies 165°F for meatballs, chicken nuggets and dumplings, but readers should use a food thermometer and follow the product’s packaging and their appliance’s instructions. The source does not give a separate safety temperature for other foods in the list.
Check Heat and Food Temperature
The report offers no announced follow-up or additional testing schedule. For readers trying the ideas, the practical next step is to consult the press manufacturer’s instructions, use the listed cooking times as a guide, and check food as it cooks. Frozen meatballs, nuggets and dumplings should reach 165°F internally, according to the report. Avoid assuming that a timer alone confirms doneness, especially when food size or appliance performance differs from the test.
Key Questions
What foods does the report suggest cooking in a panini press?
Its nine ideas are hash browns, halloumi, frozen meatballs, cornbread, chicken nuggets, pineapple, French toast, frozen dumplings and chocolate chip cookies.
What internal temperature does the report give for frozen foods?
For the listed frozen meatballs, chicken nuggets and dumplings, the report says to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a food thermometer to check.
Can a panini press cook frozen dumplings?
The report says to place frozen dumplings on a greased press at 400°F for about nine minutes, or until they reach 165°F internally. It does not claim that this time will suit every appliance or dumpling size.
How long do cookies take in a panini press?
Good Housekeeping’s test used golf-ball-size portions of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough at 350°F for six to seven minutes. The report suggests less time for a softer cookie.
Were all nine ideas tested on different panini press models?
The supplied report says Briskin made the items using a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle. It does not describe testing the ideas across multiple brands or models.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
