Hi! I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! Can you believe it's already May? We finally got a chance to get out and explore our new neighborhood a bit on Friday and are totally in love with it. Unfortunately it was rainy and cool all day yesterday, but I spent it indoors watching my niece's cheer showcase which was so much fun. She kicked butt! 🙂 Today we went to my friend's son's first birthday party and worked in the yard all afternoon since luckily it's back to being gorgeous out. It's been a pretty busy weekend! Oh and I also made this delicious sandwich! I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I'm just in the mood for a really good grilled sandwich. It has to be extremely flavorful though and this Italian one I concocted definitely foots the bill. It sounds fancy, but it's super easy to make and will definitely impress!
For this recipe you'll need some Prosciutto, Fontina, pesto, spinach, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, and Pugliese bread (Ciabatta also works nicely). Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured ham which is sliced very thin and usually served uncooked. Fontina is an Italian cow-milk cheese with a mild, creamy, almost nutty taste. It melts easily making it great to use on sandwiches or pizzas. I make my own pesto but if you'd prefer store bought that's fine. If you've tried my Blackened Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe - this is the same pesto. If not, or you'd like a refresher I'll start with my pesto recipe.
To make my pesto you'll need some basil, spinach, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil.
Add all ingredients except for olive oil to a food processor with some salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped and well combined. Add olive oil and process again.
Your pesto should have a smooth consistency. Once it's done you are ready to build your sandwich!
Start by cutting your Pugliese loaf in half horizontally. Rip out most of the soft bread interior. Then cut into quarters. If you've never tried Pugliese before it is an Italian round loaf. Spread one side with your pesto and spinach and drizzle the other with a little olive oil. Layer your Prosciutto, Fontina, and peppers. Sprinkle both sides with salt and fresh ground pepper.
If you'd prefer your sandwich cold, go ahead and eat it now! But if you're like me, there's nothing like that slightly grilled bread and melt-y cheese combination. Grilled cheese was one of my favorite childhood meals. (Who am I kidding it still is.) This sandwich would be great on a panini press, but a panini press is still on my "To-Buy" list, so I actually made this on my George Foreman! I heated it up then added a sandwich one at a time and pressed down while it grilled which is what gave it those grill marks. I grilled each for about 2-3 minutes.
And there you go! A very tasty, fancy Italian sandwich! Enjoy!
- Pesto: 1 cup basil, 1 cup spinach, ½ cup Parmesan, ¼ cup pine nuts, 2 garlic cloves, ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 Pugliese loaf, quartered with soft inside mostly removed
- 6 oz Prosciutto
- 4 slices Fontina cheese
- ¼ cup spinach
- Roasted red peppers to taste
- Banana peppers to taste
- salt and pepper
- Heat George Foreman
- Prepare pesto: add basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, and pepper to food processor and pulse until chopped and combined. Add olive oil and process until smooth.
- On one half of bread add pesto and spinach.
- On other half of bread drizzle with a little olive oil then layer Prosciutto, Fontina, and peppers.
- Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Assemble sandwich and grill each one on Foreman for 2-3 minutes while pressing down on the top.
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