We made panini for lunch the other day.  Paninis are a great way to avoid food waste. You get to used leftovers and odds and ends of food.  You can combine meats, veggies, and cheese – and still end up with a tasty scrumptious sandwich. 

We’ve used homemade focaccia bread for this recipe, but you can certainly use other breads.  Just make sure you get the thick ones or breads that are not too soft.  We’ve used sandwich and whole wheat bread in the past.  They also came out great.  You can always try to make your own panini bread, but if you don’t have the time or tools to make the bread, a store-bought one will do.

INGREDIENTS

• Preferred choice of bread
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ounce mozzarella cheese, as desired
• basil leaves, as desired
• deli ham, as desired
• 1 large plum tomato

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brush bottom bread with mustard.
2. Brush bottom half with vinegar.
3. Top bottom half with mozzarella, basil, ham, and tomato.  Be generous with the amount as desired.
4. Cover with the remaining half of the bread.
5. Coat nonstick grill pan with cooking spray.
6. Heat pan over medium heat.
7. Place sandwich on top.  Press it down with another heavy skillet.
8. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes until golden or slightly toasted, as desired.
9. Enjoy!

We love using our chopping board when preparing the ingredients for this panini bread. We also use this chopping board as a serving plate. It can function as a chopping board and serving board as well. It looks really great too! Grab yours here.