Perfect Panini

Here’s a handy technique for making a perfect panini. The primary cooking tools required are two cast iron fry pans, one larger than the other. Put both pans on the stove and preheat. Butter the outside of the bread. I used the previously blogged “bread machine white bread” for this sandwich. Place buttered bread in the larger preheated fry pan. Top one sliced of the bread with your favorite fillings. The fillings for this sandwich consisted of fried ham, sauteed onions, mushrooms and green peppers topped with shredded pepperjack and colby cheese. Lay the other half of the bread on top of the filling. Then place the smaller preheated cast iron fry pan on top of the panini to both apply pressure to the sandwich and to toast the top of the sandwich. The results are a perfectly toasted, pressed panini without the need of a specialized sandwich press. Who needs one of them cluttering up your cupboard when you already have the tools you need to make a perfect panini? The only limits to this variety of paninis you can create using this technique are your imagination and the contents of your refrigerator. Enjoy!

On a side note... everyone into cooking should invest in a set of cast iron fry pans. I've acquired mine over a period of time here and there until I had one of every possible size. The best thing about them is the more you use them the better the become! Just remember to never, and I mean NEVER use soap on them. Start out by putting good seasoning on them. (You can find instructions on the web). And then just use and use and use them. Pretty soon you have the best, most wonderful pans with great non-stick patinas on them. When cleaning, just rinse them out and scrub with a rag or a a non-stick pan type scouring pad. When extra scouring power is needed sprinkle the pans with salt and then scrub. The salt particles with help remove whatever happens to be stuck on your pan. A good set of cast iron can become a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation.