Toasted Sandwich Maker - Healthy Cooking For Two

We Love To Eat! Fortunately, I enjoy cooking. Wanting to cook healthy, quick simple meals for only two people, and not wanting another electrical kitchen appliance, an All Clad Panini Press stove top grill was the best choice for us. It has dimensions of 17x11 inches which makes it an ideal size for two 4x5 inch toasted sandwiches. A toasted sandwich maker is non-stick and easy to clean, however, after preheating it helps to baste press and pan with olive oil or spray them with a non-stick spray. They all have instructions but preheating the pan and press on medium (or a little lower) heat has worked the best for most recipes. It is also essential to heat both pan and press on separate burners. Be very careful when picking up the press. Parts of a Panini maker will get quite hot.

Some ideas for a simple toasted sandwich is to use a hearty bread layered with turkey, cheese, tomato, and onion.

Toast in Panini maker until bread is browned. Or use sliced turkey, artichoke hearts, black olives, roasted red bell pepper and provolone cheese on hearty bread. It is important to use a hearty robust bread as regular sandwich slice bread tends to flatten out and almost disappear.

Toasted sandwiches are great for leftover roast beef or ham. Layer a hearty sun-dried tomato ciabatta with left over roast beef, roasted red bell peppers, onions, tomato, slice of cheddar cheese, top with another slice of bread and toast in Panini maker until brown. Or try a double cheese beef panini. Spread a slice of ciabatta bread with mayo and prepared horseradish then layer with crumbled blue cheese, onion, provolone cheese, and roast beef. For ham layer bread with swiss cheese and ham and grill.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner a Toasted Sandwich Maker would be great for left over turkey sandwiches. A good healthy turkey toasted sandwich is ciabatta bread layered with turkey, marinated artichoke hearts drained, chopped and patted dry, sun-dried tomato halves drained and chopped, basil leaves, reduced fat provolone cheese and topped with bread. Place in Panini maker and brown.

A Panini maker makes a great stove top grill. The grill press holds a lot of heat and sears the meat on top to keep the meat from drying out. You can easily make in-door grilled hamburgers with this handy little device. It will produce nicely browned patties on top and bottom without turning the patties. If you want the smoky flavor mix in 2-3 teaspoons of liquid smoke to hamburger before making into patties. For a different flavor mix a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and chopped onion into hamburger before making the patties.

The best thing about toasted sandwiches is experimenting and using any of your favorite sandwich toppings. This is especially nice if you both have different tastes.

Remember, a recipe is merely a guide.

Lea Ann Gingerich loves to eat but likes to eat healthy, fast, easy to fix meals. For more recipes and tips visit http://www.toastedsandwichmaker.blogspot.com/