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Hello, foodies…

We couldn’t very well “reinvent classic sandwiches” without doing a grilled cheese! So Wednesday’s recipe is what I like to call a grown-up grilled cheese: a Caprese Panini.

Caprese Panini
Serves 4

This recipe is prepared with the DeLonghi Retro Panini Grill (K120956) and the Nutri Ninja 2-in-1 Food Processor and Blender (K41899).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves


• 1 garlic clove


• 2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, cut into 1/2" pieces


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper


• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil


• 8 slices Italian country-style bread, sliced 1/2" thick


• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced


• 12 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced


• Oil cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Place the basil, garlic, Parmesan pieces, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse 5–6 times. While the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream until fully incorporated. If needed, occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the container. Place the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.


2. To assemble the sandwiches, coat 1 side of each bread slice with cooking spray. Place the bread slices on a clean work surface, oiled-sides down. Spread the basil mixture on the inside of all 8 slices. Evenly distribute the tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese on 4 of the bread slices. Cover with the other 4 bread slices, oiled-sides up, and press together gently.


3. To make the paninis, preheat a press or set a large grill pan over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches for 5–7 minutes, or until golden brown and the cheese is melted. If using a grill pan, be sure to flip the sandwich. Serve immediately.

Foodies, we hope you’re enjoying our recipe videos…we try to make them short and sweet, but informative. We've got quite a collection now on YouTube…and we've added also a "video" icon to my recipe page. Every recipe that has a how-to video has an icon next to it. If there’s anything you’d like to see us do in the future, don’t hesitate to let us know. We LOVE your feedback.

Instead of a blog “question” today, I’d like you to tell me instead how you make the ultimate grilled cheese. Do you like my Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese? Maybe you use three or four kinds of cheese? Do you add a little ham or turkey? One of my favorite grilled cheese tips came from Laura Werlin, author of Grilled Cheese Please. She told me to put a mix a little shredded cheese in with the butter before spreading it on the bread. That gives you that delicious crispy, crunchy cheese that should be its own food group. I know you know what I mean! Laura also told me that she always uses shredded cheese on her sandwiches, instead of sliced, because it tends to melt more evenly. I can’t wait to hear your grilled cheese secrets! See you Wednesday for In the Kitchen with David at 8pm ET.

Keep it flavorful!
—David