Yeah, us either.
Just kidding. This happens more often than we'd care to admit in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen. Some nights it just seems easier to order a pizza or some sesame chicken and call it a meal. But a few weeks ago, we discovered something glorious. Paninis are Sawyer's newest favorite food. Come to find out, she'll eat just about anything if we grill it between two slices of bread. Paninis have been an excellent way for us to get protein (nitrate free lunch meat and cheese) and vegetables (ripe avocado, peppers, lettuce) into her diet quasi-sneakily.
Paninis are also an easy meal to throw together when we find a random assortment of food in the fridge and half a loaf of THE bread. This past week we had romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and leftover bacon. Bam- grilled BLTs. We've also made Pizza Paninis (pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni), and a savory adult Panini made with crumbly goat cheese and fig spread. We've also been known to grill up a Fat Elvis Panini: peanut butter, banana slices and bacon. Mmm.
This begs the question- why is a Panini so much better than a plain old grilled cheese out of a frying pan? First, a Panini press is weighted; so it presses down your sandwich which helps to evenly grill the bread- ensuring you don't end up with soggy bread and half melted cheese. The perfect Panini has a crispy bread exterior and a perfectly gooey, melty interior. Second, a Panini grill is practically goof-proof. Ever flip a grilled cheese sandwich in a frying pan, only to end up losing part of your sandwich ingredients, or flip it right out of the pan? Yeah, us either. A Panini grill lets you make the perfect toasted sandwich- no flipping required.
A quality Panini grill can be a great investment for your kitchen; Most of them can do double duty as a small grill for chicken breasts or small cuts of meat as well as vegetables. It's not the same as grilling outside, but in a pinch it works just fine.
So, here are some recipes and pictures of Paninis we've made recently:
slices of pre-cooked bacon
sliced tomatoes
romaine lettuce leaves
mayonnaise
avocado
THE bread
cheddar cheese
Layer ingredients on THE bread (we recommend getting an extremely ripe avocado and spreading it on the bread instead of attempting to use slices. they're slippery.) and grill until the bread is a dark brown and the ingredients are warmed.
Pizza Paninis
Pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Turkey pepperoni
(additional toppings like black olives, fresh green peppers or spinach would also be delicious additions. We also added some giardiniera because we like spice)
THE bread
Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on THE bread, add additional toppings. Grill until cheese is melted and bread is a dark brown.
Cheese and Fig Paninis
Brie, Goat or any other soft cheese that melts well
Fig preserves
THE bread
Spread a thin layer of fig preserves on THE bread. Add cheese. Grill until cheese is melted and bread is a dark brown.
Does all this talk of Paninis have you craving a sandwich of your own? Here are some links for Panini grills we recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-GR-1-Griddler-Panini-Sandwich/dp/B000CPZXGO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1395962329&sr=8-9&keywords=panini+press
This is one the Wisconsin Test Kichen has. We love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-25460-Gourmet-Sandwich/dp/B005KKWR9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395962329&sr=8-1&keywords=panini+press
Don't want to make the investment in a Panini grill? Here's another alternative:
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LGP3-Pre-Seasoned-Rectangular-Cast-Iron/dp/B00063RXNI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1395962462&sr=8-8&keywords=panini+press
We'd love to hear from you- what are some of your favorite traditional, and otherwise sandwich ingredients?
Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew
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