Two Cheese Panini With Tomato Olive Pesto Recipes

PESTO PANINI WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Preheat panini grill, if using. Spread pesto on each slice of bread. Place mozzarella slices on top of pesto.
• Layer with fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Place the remaining slices of bread, pesto side down, on top.
• Spread the top and bottom of bread with softened butter. Grill the sandwiches on panini grill, about 3 minutes per side. The paninis are done when the cheese is completely melted and the bread is toasted and golden.
• **If you don't own a panini grill, you may use a skillet. Heat over medium-low heat and flip after 3-4 minutes.

PESTO, MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO PANINI

Steps:

• Heat closed contact grill 5 minutes.
• Cut each roll in half horizontally; brush outside of each half with oil. Spread pesto on inside of both halves. Layer each sandwich with cheese and tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• When grill is heated, place sandwiches on grill. Close grill; grill 4 minutes or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted. Slice sandwiches on diagonal and serve warm.

PESTO GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Spread one side of a slice of bread with butter, and place it, buttered side down, into a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Spread the top of the bread slice in the skillet with half the pesto sauce, and place a slice of provolone cheese, the tomato slices, and the slice of American cheese onto the pesto.
• Spread remaining pesto sauce on one side of the second slice of bread, and place the bread slice, pesto side down, onto the sandwich. Butter the top side of the sandwich.
• Gently fry the sandwich, flipping once, until both sides of the bread are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

TWO-CHEESE PANINI WITH TOMATO-OLIVE PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with the olives and oregano. Season with pepper and process to a coarse paste.
• Lightly brush 1 side of each slice of bread with olive oil and set on a large baking sheet, oiled side down. Top half of the bread with the provolone, spread each slice with 1 tablespoon of the tomato-olive pesto and top with the mozzarella. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread, oiled side up.
• Heat a griddle or a very large skillet. Arrange 3 or 4 sandwiches on the griddle and top with a cast-iron skillet: do not press the pan down. Cook the sandwiches over moderately high heat until golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and cook until browned and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
• Cut the crusts off the sandwiches, then cut into triangles and serve.
• MAKE AHEAD The panini can be prepared through Step 3 and stored on a wire rack at room temperature for up to 6 hours. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until crisp.

GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Pat dry and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Preheat a panini grill and place the eggplant slices in it in an even layer. Grill 3 minutes, until cooked through and nicely marked by the grill. Remove from the heat.
• Spread a little pesto on the bottom slice of bread. Top with a layer of eggplant slices, then a layer of pepper or tomato slices. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Top with the grated cheese and the other slice of bread. Brush the outside of both the bottom and the top pieces of bread with olive oil. Grill 5 minutes, or until nicely toasted and the cheese has melted. Remove from the panini grill and cut into halves or thirds, depending on the size of the bread. Serve hot.