Panini

After seeing someone on a PBS cooking show make a delicious-looking panini sandwich, Sarah and I decided to create our own variation on the theme.

Ingredients

• Italian bread
• Virginia ham, sliced
• Provolone cheese slices
• Sliced tomato
• Pesto
• Arugula
• Butter

Directions

Very lightly butter one side of each of two pieces of bread (the buttered side will be on the outside of the sandwich). The butter is more for marking than for taste. Spread pesto on the other side of each slice (the inside of the sandwich). Layer the sliced ham, cheese, and tomatoes into the sandwich. Place the sandwich on a George Foreman grill for a couple of minutes, long enough to lightly toast the bread and start to melt the cheese. It helps to add a little pressure closing the grill to both mark and evenly grill the sandwich. Next, open the sandwich and add a generous portion of arugula. The arugula adds both a nice flavor and texture, so don't skimp.

We made this sandwich for dinner the other day. It was so good, I made it again every day since for lunch.

You can easily imagine different meats, cheeses, and other fillings to try something different. I'll be trying them for sure.