My mother was the queen of grilled cheese sandwiches.  She made grilled cheddar sandwiches, ham and cheese, and tuna and cheese—usually on giant slabs of homemade bread.  She would spread butter on the slices and cook them until they were golden and crispy with cheddar oozing out the sides.  I would pull the slices apart, warm cheddar clinging to both slices, and load the sandwiches with homemade sweet pickles. 

My mother started my love affair with grilled sandwiches.  Since then, I’ve discovered a world of cheeses and meats with which to make my grilled sandwiches plus Reuben sandwiches and patty melts.  Still, there is nothing like a grilled sandwich with a bowl of soup or a garden salad.

Today, we’ll share some of our favorites. 

 Dennis Weaver

Try these gourmet spreads on your sandwiches.

$2.00 Coupon!

Tapenades and chutneys are great spreads for sandwiches complementing meats and cheeses very well.  Spread them on as you would mayonnaise or in addition to mayonnaise.  Choose from black and green olive tapenades and from three gourmet chutneys.  And save 20%. 

Choose your spreads and save 20% here >>

Mozzarella, Tomato, and Bacon Panini Sandwich Recipe

This is an Italian version of the popular club sandwich.  It calls for an Italian dressing made with garlic and basil.  Of course, if you prefer you can use mayonnaise or salad dressing. 

Read on to get this recipe >>

Italian Prosciutto Panini Sandwich Recipe

This made a great sandwich on New York Rye Bread. Yes, we know—New York Rye is not Italian but it works. 

Read on to get this recipe >>

$4.00 Coupon!

Buy the breads in this issue

For the sandwiches in this issue, we used New York Rye, Black Russian (Pumpernickel), California Sun Dried Tomato, and San Francisco Sourdough breads.  All are exceptional breads that you can buy for less than $4.00 per mix.  Plus you can save $4.00.  Nice deal.

Save $4.00 when you buy the breads in this issue >>

Grilled Rueben Sandwiches

Read on to get this recipe >>

What are Panini Sandwiches?

When we lived in Minnesota—long before panini sandwiches were trendy--we found a little shop in the north Twin Cities suburbs that made a dizzying array of panini sandwiches.  They were served hot, pressed together, cooked until crusty, and filled with meats and cheeses.  This is still typical of panini sandwiches though any grilled Italian sandwich can be called a panino.  (Panino is the singular of panini in Italian.)

In most restaurants, panini sandwiches are made with distinctive grill marks across the bread.

Originally, panini sandwiches were made on small loaves of bread, typically a ciabatta, cut horizontally and filled with meats and cheeses and served hot.

Save 20%!

How to Make a
Panini Grilled Sandwich

We use a cast iron panini press and a grill pan to make our panini sandwiches.  Lay the press inside the pan and heat both for several minutes over medium high heat.  While heating, brush or spray both sides of the sandwich with olive oil or melted butter.  Place the sandwich on the pan and the hot panini press on the sandwich.  Cook the sandwich until it is warmed through so that the cheese melts.  If the cast iron press is hot enough, you won’t need to turn the sandwich. 

If you don’t have a grill pan, you can use a frying pan.  The grill marks will only be on the top of the sandwich. 

Save 15% on the grill pan! >>

Save 20% on the panini press! >>

Smokey Gouda Grilled Sandwich Recipe

We found a very smokey cheese for this sandwich and made it on San Francisco Sourdough Bread.  We topped it with slices of onion, tomato, and shredded fontina cheese.  Great sandwich! 

Read on to get this recipe >>

Tips for Making Great Grilled Sandwiches

Melissa, our baker, makes great grilled sandwiches.  So we sat down with her to find how she did it. 

Here is what she said >>