We’re all about a sandwich – or panini – on a Wednesday here at Glover Gardens. That’s when it’s The Grill-Meister’s turn for making dinner (solo), and he is open for requests: woohoo!!!! There’s a plethora of paninis here in the blog: give them a look by clicking here.
Here’s a recent one: a Smoked Gouda, Proscuitto and Ham Panini on Jalapeño-Cheese Bread. Can you sing hallelujah? ‘Cause that’s exactly what this sandwich from the heavens did. Relatively humble ingredients brought together for a Sandwich Wednesday party became the sandwich version of the Hallelujah Chorus. It checks all the boxes: hearty, tangy, spicy, fresh and satisfyingly good. This is a panini that you just KNOW you deserve when you eat it. Check out the recipe and step-by-step Join Us in the Kitchen Instructions below.
Recipe: Smoked Gouda, Proscuitto and Ham Panini on Jalapeño-Cheese Bread
Makes 4 paninis; takes about 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 slices jalapeño-cheese bread or your preferred panini bread
- Olive oil or an olive oil sprayer
- ½ to ¾ cup Mayogarlic, aioli, or your favorite flavored mayonnaise or other spread, enough to generously cover both sides of each piece of bread (2+ tablespoons per sandwich)
- ½ lb. smoked gouda slices (about 2 oz. per sandwich)
- ¾ to 1 lb. thickly sliced ham (3-4 oz. per sandwich)
- ½ lb. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1 inch slices (about 2 oz. per sandwich)
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced (yellow, red or white)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup tightly packed baby arugula
- 2 medium roma tomatoes, or one large, very ripe hot-house tomato
Cooking Instructions
Gather all the ingredients on a big cutting board. If you’re doing a Sandwich Wednesday-type hosted gathering, invite your guests to assemble their own paninis. Either way, start with the bread for each sandwich. Lightly oil the outsides of the bread by using an olive oil sprayer or brushing with olive oil, and then schmear both pieces of each sandwich on the inside with the mayo condiment of your choice.
Layer the smoked gouda on one side, then the prosciutto, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper (more pepper than salt, because ham and prosciutto are salty). Add the ham and then the onions, and then more pepper. Put the second piece of bread atop the first and grill on your panini press, or on a griddle or skillet, until the cheese is melted and both sides of the bread are toasty. If you’re using a griddle, turn the sandwich to accomplish the desired toastiness on each side. Whichever process you use, this will likely take 10+ minutes.
Remove the sandwich from the panini press or griddle and open it up. Add the arugula and tomato and more pepper, then close the sandwich and call it done. Cut it in half and serve immediately.
Notes
- Mayogarlic is a fave from the Tomball Farmers’ Market; it can be order here. You can also use aioli, another flavored mayo, or any other condiment of your choice
- Jalapeño-cheese bread is THE BOMB for this recipe, but you could substitute another interestingly flavored and hefty bread. Just don’t use sandwich bread or thinly sliced French or sourdough; this sandwich needs a hearty bread with thick slices.
- Ripe tomatoes matter! Avoid waxy tomatoes like the plague.
- No side dish is necessary, as this is a big sandwich. But fresh fruit is a very good accompaniment. And if you really, really wanted a side dish, a slaw is a wonderful choice. Here are a couple of options.
Join Us in the Kitchen
The Grill-Meister gets all of the ingredients ready.
This panini made for a glorious lunch the next day after its fancy photo shoot. That’s ginger ale there in the big glass… 😎
