Panini...

On these cold January winter days, there is no better lunch that a cup of hot soup and hot sandwiches...A Panini is a grown up grilled cheese...just a little more special....In Italy, a panino is customarily made from a small roll or loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta or a rosetta. The loaf is cut horizontally and filled with salami, ham cheese or other food, and sometimes served hot after having been pressed in a grill.....

Panini

You can make fabulous Panini's without the special Panini pan....I saw this done I believe on Rachel Ray's show...you can use a regular cast iron skillet or other heavy pan...I used my groovy pan...the one I use for grilling indoors...

If you ever go to thrift stores or antique stores, look for this pan...they are cheap there and they are so much better than buying new ones...A new pan needs seasoning, and sometimes that can take years...After you pick the pan you are going to use.... take your pan and heat up for 5 minutes on medium to medium low heat.....

for your weight you will need a heavy can and an old pie plate....

make your sandwich that you are going to use for your panini...I used the cheap artisan bread from Safeway...you can use any artisan bread that you have leftover from something else...you choose...

I picked to make a provolone cheese, Canadian maple ham and fresh basil...I have several favorite panini sandwiches...brie is great with tomato and basil.....

butter both sides of the bread and place in the pan and top with your pie pan and heavy weight...take the can the firmly press down...wait one minute....and

turn......

place the pie pan back on top and the can and press firmly down again...cook another full minute and...

you are finished, get ready to have the best sandwich you ever made in your own kitchen!

oh so good! Enjoy!

Cheers to Happy  !!