It seems like panini presses and new panini recipes are all the rage right now.  But, don’t feel bad if you’re feeling left out of the panini loop.  They’re actually quite easy to make.  Let’s take a closer look at these grilled sandwiches that are so hot right now.

What is a panini? The term panini simply refers to an Italian sandwich made from a small loaf of bread, but the paninis which are so popular right now are actually grilled paninis.  They’re buttered on the outside and cooked in a panini press.

Paninis are fun to make, because you can include whatever vegetables, cheese, or meats that you like.  Experiment with new flavors, and see what you come up with! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Roma tomatoes,mozzarella cheese, and olive oil
• Sliced turkey, provolone, and spicy mustard
• Grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, and basil
• Sliced apple and cheddar cheese

You can use any kind of bread, or even croissants to make a panini.   Focaccia bread is a popular choice too.

Don’t have a panini press?  Here’s some excellent info on how to make your own panini press with 2 iron skillets.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes with tomatoes. Hopefully, this will inspire you to rekindle your relationship with tomatoes. You will need:

• couple of ripe, juicy tomatoes
• your favorite sliced bread
• cheddar cheese, grated or sliced
• fresh basil
• Dijon mustard
• shallots – if you like, it takes the sammy to new heights
• butter, if your waste line can take it. You can substitute olive oil or skip it all together.

Wash and slice the tomatoes. Butter the bread on one side of each slice. On the other side spread some mustard. Make a sandwich, buttered sides of bread out, with the cheese, tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and thinly sliced shallots if you like. You can grill these traditionally in a pan but what really takes the sandwich from good to a-freakin-mazing is popping those puppies in a sandwich griller. Mmmm! I’ve just seen my future… I’m going back to the farm in Indiana next month where homegrown tomatoes and basil abound. I bought my parents a sandwich maker for Christmas last year. We haven’t whipped that bad boy out in a while. I think the time is ripe!