On a hot, sticky night, I really don’t feel like making a big dinner with the stove or oven.  When it’s really hot I don’t even want to use the outdoor grill.  These nights I like to make panini sandwiches.  I have a panini griddle, but there are many ways to make a panini.  If you do not have a panini maker, you can use your George Forman grill, any inside grill or griddle, or simply two pans.

The key to a good panini is to start with great ingredients.  You will need your favorite bread, something crusty works really well.  In addition, you will need your favorite  sandwich fillings.  Maybe chesse, veggies, meat, mustard, mayo, whatever floats your boat!

Casey will be back soon.  Last night we had a simple dinner in her absence.  Here is what we had:

Grilled Turkey, Roasted Peppers & Onions Panini:

Ingredients:

Wheat bread

Turkey

Green pepper

Onion

Muenster cheese

Spicy mustard

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Clean and dry one bell pepper.  Slice into strips.  Peel and slice into strips one small onion.  Place peppers and onions in a microwave safe bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes until vegetables soften.

Open your french bread and place cheese, then mustard, then meat, and finally peppers and onions into the sandwich.  It is best not to put your condiments onto the bread, since they would then be absorbed into the bread.  For maximum flavor, place sandwich condiments between the meat and cheese.

Brush sandwich with olive oil and place sandwich on your griddle.  If you do not have a griddle, place sandwich in a fry pan and place a heavy pan on top of your sandwich.  You want to press the sandwich to make it crisp.  Cook to a golden brown.  If you are using the fry pan or griddle method, you will need to flip the sandwich to brown both sides.

There are many variations on the panini.  Any lunch meat and cheese works well.  Any bread works too!  You can spice up the sandwich with hot peppers, giardiniera, or even hot sauce.

Serve hot with some chips and you will have a quick and way summer supper. This sandwich pairs well with soup in the winter.  Enjoy!