Most upscale cooking stores sell panini presses or other fancy grills specifically for making panini. But you don’t need to use these—whatever frying pan you use to make grilled cheese works fine. I like the Calphalon grill pan with the raised bumps, but it’s not necessary to use this particular pan. These sandwiches make a nice, quick meal that includes several food groups—good for refueling at the end of a busy day.
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat bread
- Butter for spreading
- Sliced cheese, enough to cover the space of each sandwich twice (Monterey jack, cheddar, muenster, mozzarella, and queso blanco Oaxacan cheese all work nicely)
- Spinach leaves, rinsed, large stems removed
- Red bell pepper, sliced into rings
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Dry basil leaves
- Cold cuts (nitrate-free turkey, ham, and London broil work nicely)
Directions:
- Butter one slice of bread for each sandwich and place buttered side down on the cold pan.
- Add cheese to cover each slice of bread.
- Add a layer of spinach, a layer of red bell pepper, and a layer of tomato to each slice of bread, sprinkle with basil.
- Add a layer of cold cuts to each sandwich and top with another layer of cheese. Butter the remaining slices of bread and place, buttered side up, on top of each sandwich.
- Turn the heat on the pan to medium.
- Grill until bottom layer of cheese begins to melt and bottom slice of bread is golden. Press each sandwich down firmly with the back of a spatula (Voila! You have eliminated the need for a panini press with this maneuver.)
- Flip the sandwiches carefully and press down firmly again. Grill until cheese is melted and bread is golden.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately. Goes nicely with the Cold Buster Chicken Soup.
Photo courtesy of Brian Lary
