Kitchen

[denisemb]

Please be gentle, LOL

I'm not really familiar with panninis, so let's say I have a T-Fal Optigrill that does sandwiches and want to do a ham and cheese sandwich.  Do I grill the ham first, then put it in the bread w/cheese?  Do I butter the outside of the bread that comes in contact with the grill?

Thanks!

[house_cat]

Whether or not you grill the ham first is a matter of preference. There's no need to do that, though.

Yes, you should butter, or oil, the top and bottom of the sandwich before cooking it.

[momtochloe]

This is not a stupid question at all.  I have a small Wolfgang Puck Panini grill and when I use it I always butter the bread before grilling but that's just me.

If I am making a more shall we say thinner sandwich (like a ham and cheese) I just add the ingredients straight from the fridge and they seem to warm up nicely but if I am making something like a patty melt or a sandwich with a grilled chicken breast and that protein has come from the fridge I will warm it up a bit first before assembling and grilling the sandwich.

They are neat little gadgets.  Happy sandwich making!

[HonnyBrown]

---

@denisemb wrote:

Please be gentle, LOL

I'm not really familiar with panninis, so let's say I have a T-Fal Optigrill that does sandwiches and want to do a ham and cheese sandwich.  Do I grill the ham first, then put it in the bread w/cheese?  Do I butter the outside of the bread that comes in contact with the grill?

Thanks!

---

No, you don't need to grill the ham.  You treat the panini ingredients the same way you do a regular sandwich.

If I'm feeling decedant, I will put mayo on the outside of the bread before I grill it.  YUM!

[denisemb]

Thank you, all!

HonnyBrown, you are MY kind of lady, LOL  Everything is better with mayo.

[momtochloe]

---

@HonnyBrown wrote:

---

@denisemb wrote:

Please be gentle, LOL

I'm not really familiar with panninis, so let's say I have a T-Fal Optigrill that does sandwiches and want to do a ham and cheese sandwich.  Do I grill the ham first, then put it in the bread w/cheese?  Do I butter the outside of the bread that comes in contact with the grill?

Thanks!

---

No, you don't need to grill the ham.  You treat the panini ingredients the same way you do a regular sandwich.

If I'm feeling decedant, I will put mayo on the outside of the bread before I grill it.  YUM!

---

HB, I like the way you think . . . I am so trying that mayo thing next time!  

[DiAnne]

I have a Cuisinart Grill and I do not add more butter to the outside of the pannini.  To me that is the benefit of the grill - otherwise it is just a grilled sandwich that you could do on the stove. 

[eddyandme]

I'm thinking of trying a little cheese on the outside of the bread - nothing sticks to the grill and I love browned cheese!

[Gokat]

---

goldenlocks wrote:

I'm thinking of trying a little cheese on the outside of the bread - nothing sticks to the grill and I love browned cheese!

---

Yummo!  Go ahead .  It browns up nicely and makes a great snack!  I don't even bother with the bread. It slides right off the non-stick surface!   

[Sammijo10]

---

@DiAnne wrote:

I have a Cuisinart Grill and I do not add more butter to the outside of the pannini.  To me that is the benefit of the grill - otherwise it is just a grilled sandwich that you could do on the stove. 

---

DiAnne, this is the second time today I'm quoting you!  I never add extra olive oil or butter to the outside of the bread.  Actually I used to but found the bread crisps better without it and the addition of the extra fat made the sandwich too greasy.  Just put all the sandwich ingredients inside and plunk it in the panini maker.  We're not a fan of mayo but I use pesto as a sandwich spread and it gives whatever you put in a lot of flavor.

DH's favorite is turkey pepperoni with fontina cheese on hearty Italian bread spred with a bit of pesto.  My niece called it a 'pizza sandwich'!