Turkey Cranberry Panini Sandwich

I am going to admit something that is hard to do…I am a panini snob.  Yes, you heard that right.  I refuse to eat panini's in public.  PERIOD.

Why?  Because "they" (and that words includes several states, restaurants and chains) simply do not know how to make a HOT panini sandwich.

Am the only one that runs into this?  If I am then please let me know so that I can try a few new places and NOT be a snob about this sandwich.  LOL

HOT people…that is how I like my hubby and my sandwiches cooked in any type of press.   This specifically means…hot meat, melted cheese and toasty bread.  HOT HOT HOT

A few Christmas's ago my sister bought me the best gift.  A panini press from William Sonoma and it has gotten used a ton at my house.  I love it.

I feel that there are some tricks to making the perfect panini sandwich.  I will share with you my opinion about this.  Now, maybe you have a different approach but this is what works for me.

1.  Preheat your meat.  Do this by warming it up in a saute pan or microwaving it for a few minutes.

2.  Use cheese on both sides of the sandwich.  This does two things: makes it yummy but also holds your sandwich together so the insides do not slip out.

3.  Use good bread.  We love all multi grain breads, dark breads and especially a homemade rustic loaf.

4.  Experiment.  Try new things.  It's fun to be the sandwich king once in a while.

SO.  There you have it.  Right or wrong, it's how I do it.  If you do not own a panini press, do not fret.  A very heavy cast iron pan works great too.  Trust me, Rapunzel has made the cast iron pan surge in popularity as a tool for warding off scoundrels  but it also works as a press for sandwiches.

Recipe:  Turkey Cranberry Panini

Bread
Turkey, warmed before putting into the sandwich
Cheese
Cranberry Sauce
Green onions, diced
Honey Mustard


Layer your sandwich in this order:

bread
honey mustard
cheese
turkey
green onion
cranberry sauce
cheese
honey mustard
bread


Butter both sides and press it baby!

TA-DA…you're done.  Now go be the sandwich king and impress your family!