Ingredients:

1 loaf Italian bread, sliced

8 slices fontina cheese

8 slices very thinly sliced lean capicola

16 slices smoked turkey breast

butter

Directions:

Place the cheese in a single layer a slice of bread. Top with a slice of cheese. Spread the jam on the cheese, top with capicola, turkey and another layer of cheese.

Cover the cheese with the other slice of bread. Lightly butter each side of the sandwich. Place on a panini press preheated to “medium”. Press until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.

My thoughts:

One of my favorite ways to make a grilled cheese is on a panini press. It is arguably the easiest way to make grilled cheese but the resulting sandwich seems more special than one fried in a pan. The trick to a good panini is making sure you have at least some cheese touch the bread. The cheese will act like a “glue” to hold the sandwich together. There is nothing worse than biting into a panino only to have it slide apart! Fontina is a great choice because it melts well . Its nutty flavor complemented both meats and kept the jam from being too overpowering or sweet.

Note: I received a few emails asking which panini press I have. I love my Breville and highly recommend it.