Panini Party: December Supper Club

Keith and I have recently joined/help kick off a new Supper Club here in the Memphis area. I volunteered to host the second one and a Sunday night seemed like the best time for everyone. To keep things simple and easy, I decided to do a panini and soup party. I had never been to one but saw it as an idea in an old magazine. I was really hoping it would go over well and people would have fun making their own sandwiches, and I knew I would enjoy not cooking all day long!

Well, it was a big success and far exceeded my expectations. People love Paninis. The whole build-your-own thing was a lot of fun! Here are the pics!

I set up the sandwich spread on my kitchen table and put two panini presses on the counter in the kitchen. Thanks, mom, for letting me borrow yours! Here's what was on the bar:

Bread:

Sourdough bread

Rosemary Olive bread

Spreads:

Artichoke Parmesan Pesto

Horseradish Sauce

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

Honey Mustard

Mayo

Barbecue Sauce

Balsamic Glaze

Meats:

Turkey

Roast Beef

Grilled Chicken

Bacon

Cheese:

Havarti

Gouda

Mozzarella

Brie

Goat

Cheddar

Toppings:

Spinach

Tomato

Red Onion

Sun-Dried Tomatoes 

Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Artichoke Hearts

Basil

I also served the sandwiches with either butter or herbed olive oil to spread on the bread before grilling. I also made my Chicken Tortilla Soup and my Tomato Soup. For dessert, there were these cupcakes, some chocolate chip cookies, and we had S'more supplies on hand for the fire in the backyard.

I recently downloaded Photshop Elements as a free trial to see if I could teach myself a few things. I downloaded a free chalkboard background and a variety of free fonts and made these signs myself! We'll see what else I can figure out how to do...

To help folks get their creative juices flowing, I made a few template cards. This helped out and I think a lot of people made these paninis!

If I had all of these ingredients this conveniently displayed, I would eat a panini every single day.

At the party, I chose to make a BBQ panini with turkey, gouda, bbq sauce, red onion, spinach and bacon. It was the bomb.com.

Sarah and Jess having fun with some punch in their moose glasses! Yes, those are the ones from Christmas Vacation!

Kristen, Sarah, Sarah and Kate

There were so many folks at the house that I didn't catch a photo of. We had a full crowd! I loved it.

We had our fire pit going in the backyard and just as I went to take my first bite of my perfectly prepared s'more, a gust of wind came through and my hair went straight into the marshmallow. Jessica, my friend that has had more calamities than anyone I know, was quick to provide a solution. Did you know ice gets sticky stuff out of your hair in a jiff? Pretty handy.

Ashley and I enjoying a nice night outside by the fire.

I wish I had more pictures! It was such a fun night and I'm so glad so many folks came. If you're looking for a fun, easy holiday party idea, this is it! It would also be a great thing to do if you have family in town for the holidays!