Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Panini

I remember seeing this panini when it was originally posted on Panini Happy and thinking to myself, “That looks really good. I’ll have to try that sometime.” But before I could even get around to making it, four separate people reached out to me – either in person, through e-mail, or on Facebook – informing me of its existence, and telling me that it was something they knew I’d love. You guys – am I that transparent?! ;)

They were right, of course. It does contain so many of the things I love, so it probably won’t surprise you when I tell you that I really liked this. I guess I’d never really considered putting macaroni and cheese on a sandwich before, but I’ve since seen this idea in a few different places. It sounds a little weird, but it’s actually really good.

What I love about this sandwich is that you can make it mostly with leftovers. The night before you want to have these, make pulled pork and macaroni and cheese for dinner (I’ve linked to the recipes I used below, but feel free to use your favorites). Then use your leftovers to make the sandwiches the next night. The recipe calls for cold macaroni and cheese anyway, so it’s the perfect use for leftovers.

This sandwich is incredibly tasty, obviously, but I don’t think it’s something I’ll make very often, just because there isn’t really anything that could be considered healthy about it. I don’t even want to know how many calories one of these sandwiches contains. It was definitely a fun and delicious dinner, though!

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Panini
adapted from Panini Happy

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 cups prepared macaroni and cheese
2 onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups prepared pulled pork
8 slices sourdough bread
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cut the macaroni and cheese into squares that are slightly smaller than the bread slices.

2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Combine the barbecue sauce and pulled pork in a saucepan over low heat and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

4. Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat.

5. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush on one side of each bread slice. Flip over half of the bread slices; layer 1 slice of cheddar and 1 macaroni-and-cheese square on each. Top each with one-quarter of the pulled pork and caramelized onions and another slice of cheddar. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered-side up.

6. Working in batches, cook the sandwiches until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 5 minutes.