Prosciutto and Melon Panini

Name: Prosciutto and Melon Panini
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 16 oz cantaloupe (cleaned and sliced); 7 oz herb and garlic brie cheese (sliced ); 4 oz prosciutto; ½ cup basil; 1 tbsp hot honey; ¼ tsp crushed red pepper; 8 slices panini bread (round rustic Italian works as well); 2 tbsp butter (unsalted); 1 tbsp olive oil

Dinner

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This Prosciutto and Melon Panini is the perfect quick dinner for a weeknight. Salty prosciutto slices, sweet cantaloupe, hot honey, chili flakes, fresh basil and herb and garlic brie all melted between two slices of rustic Italian bread. It’s quick, easy and you’re not left with much clean up. The best kind of dinner!

Prosciutto and melon panini topped with hot honey, chile flakes and brie cheese in a cast iron skillet

Prosciutto and melon belong together like peanut butter and jelly. The combination of the salty prosciutto and the sweet melon is mouthwatering. It’s a combination that’s been around for quite some time and it’s one you really need to try if you haven’t yet.

Table of Contents

What fruits pair well with prosciutto?

When it comes to pairing fruit with prosciutto there are a few fruits that stand out to me. While almost any sweet fruit would go well with the saltiness of prosciutto, here are a couple of my favorites other than melon:

Figs
Pears
Honey Dew Melon
Lemon Drop Melon
Peaches

close up of the brie, prosciutto, basil and cantaloupe on panini bread

Ingredients you’ll need

Rustic Italian Bread
Prosciutto
Melon (cantaloupe)
Hot Honey
Chili Flakes
Basil
Herb & Garlic Brie
Olive Oil
Butter

cantaloupe, basil, bread, prosciutto, red pepper flakes, hot honey and brie cheese

Tips for making the best Prosciutto and Melon Paninis

Find a nice ripe melon. The more ripe and juicy the melon is, the better
If you can’t find herb & garlic brie a plain brie would work just fine
Make the sandwiches right before you intend to serve them, they don’t hold well for long
Toast the bread until it’s a medium golden brown color and the brie is completely melted
Use the hot honey, trust me
Brie cheese is easier to cut when cold so take it straight out of the fridge right before cutting
This is my favorite cast iron skillet I use to cook these Prosciutto and Melon Paninis https://amzn.to/3AgXWt1
If you’d like to use an actual panini press, something like this would work great https://amzn.to/3AgYqzl

melted brie on the cooked panini in a cast iron skillet

What to serve with Prosciutto and Melon Paninis

Something light goes really well with this panini. In general I prefer lighter sides when I have a sandwich but especially if it’s a toasted panini. Here are some ideas for sides:

Summer Fruit Salad
Strawberry Summer Salad
Good ole fashioned potato chips always go great with a sandwich
Antipasto Salad
Grilled Veggies

How long will a Prosciutto and Melon Panini keep?

If you add all the toppings to the panini and store it in the refrigerator before cooking you can keep it for up to 24 hours. After that the quality will really start to go down. After the panini is cooked it’s really just best to eat it warm. It doesn’t keep well after its already been cooked.

sliced of bread laid out with basil, prosciutto, brie, hot honey and chile flalkes

If you try this Prosciutto and Melon panini please leave a rating and/or comment! I love to hear feedback. Don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram photos (@inkristaskitchen) if you make this or any of my other recipes! Hope you enjoy!