Smoked Sausage, Roasted Pepper and Provolone Panini

Need a quick lunch or dinner recipe? Panini to the rescue! Don't worry if you don't have a panini press, you can use your griddle or grill pan and press the sandwiches down with a heavy skillet or foil-wrapped brick (I use tile samples!).

I love the combination of smoked sausage, tangy provolone and sweet roasted red pepper in this sandwich. Use your favorite sausage variety - I just recommend the smoked variety for the utmost flavor (kielbasa or andouille are my first choices). And my son likes his paninis spicy, so I always douse his sandwich roll with hot sauce. You can skip that step!

Note: This recipe serves 1, so for more people, increase the ingredients accordingly!

Smoked Sausage, Roasted Pepper and Provolone Panini

Cooking spray
Hot sauce, optional
1 fresh roll (from the bakery section of the grocery store)
1/2 cup thinly sliced smoked (fully cooked) sausage
2-3 slices provolone cheese
Sliced roasted red peppers, use as much as you like

Coat a panini press, griddle or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high.
Halve the roll crosswise and sprinkle the hot sauce on both sides of the roll (you can skip this step).
Arrange the sausage, cheese and peppers on the bottom half of the roll. Press the sandwich together and place on the prepared panini press, griddle or grill pan. Close the lid or weigh the sandwich down with something heavy. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until the cheese melts and the sandwich is hot (if you're using a griddle or grill pan, flip the sandwich halfway through the cooking time).

Serves 1