Preposterously Paradisiacal Panini

Sandi (From CA)'s Note:

This was the first panini I made on my grill/press and dayam, sam! That’s an impressive little machine! If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a brick well-wrapped in foil and a skillet, but it’s not nearly as much fun. ;o)

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Standard Ingredients

• 1 loaf ciabatta
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil pesto (I highly recommend Kittencal's Perfect Pesto)
• 4 slices smoked provolone cheese
• 1 bunch arugula
• 12 slices black forest ham (uncured, if possible)
• olive oil

Optional Ingredients

• 2 roma tomatoes (thinly sliced) (optional)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat panini grill.
2. Cut a thin slice from the top of the loaf of ciabatta to make the top flat. Cut loaf into four sections. Then cut each section in half. You should end up with eight “slices” of bread for four sandwiches.
3. Lightly baste the OUTSIDE of each slice of bread with olive oil.
4. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on the inside of 4 of the slices and mayonnaise, if using, on the inside of the other 4.
5. Layer the following on top of each pesto layer: Several arugula leaves, 1 slice provolone, thin slices of tomato if using, and 3 slices of black forest ham. Cover with the other slice of bread and place on panini grill/press. Close press and grill for 2-4 minutes or until browned to your liking.

Reviews

[Lori Mama]

Awesome sammie! I scaled back to 2 and used a pre-cut size ciabatta bread especially for sandwiches. No need for the extras here, for me anyway. Made for Everyday Holiday Tag. :)