Classic Italian Panini with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) loaf French bread, cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese, divided
2 ounces very thin slices prosciutto
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Cooking spray
Directions:
Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise over cut side of each bread half. Sprinkle basil and 1/2 cup cheese on bottom half of loaf. Top evenly with prosciutto, tomato slices, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with top half of loaf. Cut filled loaf crosswise into 4 equal pieces.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten sandwiches. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).
Yield: 4 servings.
Source: Cooking Light, May 2008, found on MyRecipes. You can find it here.
Ham-and-Cheese Panini
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/4 cup grainy Dijon mustard
8 slices rustic white bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 slices Gruyere cheese
8 ounced sliced cooked ham
Directions:
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat; add shallots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and continue cooking until onions are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard on one side of a slice of bread. Top with a slice of cheese, 2 ounces ham, 1/4 of the shallot mixture, and another slice of cheese. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard on a second slice of bread and place mustard side down on top of cheese to form a sandwich. Repeat process three times with remaining mustard, bread, cheese, ham, and shallots.
Brush top and bottom of each sandwich with olive oil. Place in a panini grill and press until bread is crips and brown, and cheese has melted slightly, 9 to 10 minutes. If using a grill pan, preheat over medium-high heat. Place a heavy pan on top of sandwiches and press down. Cook, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 sandwiches.
Source: Martha Stewart. You can find it here.
We just cooked these on our George Foreman grill. Who needs a panani press? Just one more appliance to clean. We were all so full, we never got to try the other two kinds I meant to make....smores was one of them.
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