Leftover beef tenderloin panini

I hope everyone’s New Year is off to a great start.   I know many of you may have healthy eating resolutions.  I do too, but I start Monday.  For now, let’s talk food!  

Over the holidays, I hosted a Christmas dinner for my family.  It was a lovely evening and I served a roasted beef tenderloin.  Normally, we would have grilled.  However, the temperature on the day of our party was below zero with Arctic wind chills.  I’m not sure we would have been able to get the barbecue up to a high enough temperature.  Needless to say, it was a wonderful dinner and the tenderloin was delicious .  I was so busy serving 15 guests, I completely forgot about pictures.  What a shame.   No such thing as  a free dinner……next time someone in the family will be assigned this important task.

The cut of meat was rather gigantic, so there was quite a bit left even after sending some home with guests.  I threw it in the freezer for a later date.  Well, that date arrived.  One great option for leftover tenderloin is Beef Wellington.  On this occasion, I didn’t have puff pastry in the freezer.  However, I did have a nice loaf of jalapeno cheddar bread, so beef panini came to mind.  Even better idea knowing I had horseradish cheddar cheese in the refrigerator.  Who doesn’t love a little horseradish with a tender slice of beef?  Just one problem, no panini press.  I mean how many kitchen gadgets can I cram into my cabinets?

This is where I had to get a little creative.   I could just use a frying pan, but I was determined to have grill marks.  I didn’t have a grill pan available because I was cooking at the cabin.  I expect a grill pan would work if you had a way to weigh down the panini.   My solution?  I just used my waffle iron and a little cooking spray.  I love my waffle iron even more!

Quick to assemble and just a matter of minutes to get the bread crusty, meat warmed, and cheese gooey.  Threw some minestrone soup mix in a pot and a delicious dinner for a cold northwoods evening was on the table in no time at all.

We enjoy serving tenderloin for nice dinners and typically have plenty of leftovers.  Please share your ideas for how to use left-over tenderloin.   I am always looking for new ideas.

Thanks for sharing!  Laura