Panini Pleasures



I'm sure you're familiar with the panini sandwich. Meats, cheese, vegetables, and spreads - nestled between two pieces of crusty bread and toasted to perfection. The filling possibilities are endless, so I got a little creative with this recipe.
First, I chose Havarti cheese, a pale yellow, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese with great zing. Then, for a little crunch and color - zucchini (it's gorgeous these days). For sweetness (to contrast the salty cheese), I slathered the bread with fig jam. If you want to make these sandwiches tonight and you don't have fig jam, use whatever preserves you have in your fridge (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, orange marmalade, apricot preserves). I pulled this recipe from Robin Takes 5 for Busy Families, and there are just 5 ingredients needed for a spectacular grilled sandwich!

If you don’t have a Panini press, cook the sandwiches in a large skillet and press them down with a heavy pan while cooking.

If you're in a rush, the paninis can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to cook.


Zucchini-Havarti Panini with Fig Jam
This recipe is easily doubled to serve four instead of two.
 
Cooking spray
4 slices Italian bread or 2 sub rolls (slices should be about 1/2-inch thick)
4 tablespoons fig jam
8 slices Havarti cheese (about 8 ounces total)
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced

Coat a Panini press or large skillet with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high.
Spread the fig jam on all four slices of bread or inside sub rolls. Top half of the bread slices with one slice of the cheese. Top the cheese with the zucchini and yellow squash slices and second slice of cheese. Place the second slice of bread on top and transfer the sandwiches to the Panini press. Cook the sandwiches according to the manufacturer’s instructions or, when using a skillet, press the sandwiches down with a heavy pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts.

Serves 2

Photo credit: Freedigitalphotos.net, SOMMAI, Grant Cochrane

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