I came across these panini sandwiches while I was expecting our son Andrew. It was an instant hit with both myself, and the husband. I couldn’t believe how flavorful this sandwich was, or how easy it was to throw together. In fact, in the last week before Andrew was born, Jon took over all cooking duties for me. It might sound simple enough, but it’s actually quite a feat for him.
He cooked the usual things that men (well, most of them!) are capable of cooking…spaghetti, hot dogs, tacos. In other words, processed/ground meat central. But, he also decided to go out on a limb for himself and made these paninis. I did assist him a little in the chopping of the jalapenos. I would have been waiting all night for him to chop up 2 of them – bless his heart. My point is they are wonderfully easy. Takes 20 minutes to throw together…tops!
Spicy Southwest Turkey Paninis
1 sourdough boule or loaf, sliced in pieces 1/2″ thick
3/4 lb oven roasted deli turkey, sliced thin
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/4″ thick slices
1/2 lb Pepper Jack cheese, sliced (sandwich size is ideal)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
kosher salt and ground black pepper
Whisk mayonnaise, hot sauce, jalapeno, and cilantro in a small bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, toss red peppers with the olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat large non-stick grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange peppers in a single layer in the pan, place a square of aluminum foil on top (that way you don’t kave to wash the pan you weigh down with!), then place a dutch oven, or any other heavy bottomed pan on top of the peppers to weigh them down. Cook, stirring peppers occasionally, until peppers are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and wipe out pan.
To assemble the paninis, spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on each slice of bread. Lay 2 slices of cheese onto one side of the bread. Top with turkey, red peppers, and remaining cheese. Arrange remaining bread, mayonnaise-side down, over cheese.
Heat grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight down with Dutch oven (you can use the aluminum foil trick here as well). Cook sandwiches until golden brown and cheese is melted, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining sandwiches.
Source: Cook’s Country
