Melty Mozzarella Panini

Serves : 4

Comments: This is a modified recipe from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food". These work great in your panini maker.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup store-bought pesto sauce or olive tapenade
  • 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
  • 8 thick slices sandwich bread (or 4 small french-bread sandwich rolls)
  • olive oil

Instructions:

Heat a large grill pan or skillet over medium heat.

Spread some of the tapenade or pesto sauce on one side of each piece of bread. (I put about a heaping tablespoon of pesto on each slice; you will probably want to adjust this to taste. You will have pesto sauce or tapenade left over.) Top 4 slices of the pesto- or tapenade-covered bread with half of the cheese slices. Top with the peppers, the remaining cheese, and then the other piece of bread, pesto-covered side on the inside. Lightly brush the outside of each sandwich (on both sides) with olive oil.

Place sandwiches in the pan; weight with a heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, pressing down firmly with skillet, until bread is golden and cheese is melted, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve immediately.