Hot and toasty sandwiches are always my go-to dinner when I’m distraught about what to eat. They’re quick, easy and very versatile, which makes them the perfect food for all occasions. I have personally dubbed myself the “Grilled Cheese Master” due to the creation of this panini. It is 100% delicious, combining the saltiness of the prosciutto, the sharpness of the cheeses, and the sweet-peppery flavor of the pesto.

Although I don’t quite have a recipe for this, I will tell state the basic set-up of this sandwich because it was just too perfectly paired with my Roasted Tomato Soup for you not to experience it as well. What you will need:

Prosciutto and Pesto Panini

Yields: 1 Panini

Directions:

Basil Pesto:

1. Wash and dry 5-6 large sized basil leaves. Finely chop and place in a mortar (if you do not own a mortar and pestle, you can improvise by placing basil leaves bowl and grinding with any rounded kitchen tool, e.g, ice cream scoop!). To the mortar add one clove of garlic, pressed, and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Work this mixture with the pestle until formed into a paste.
2. Grate about a 1/4 cup of each cheese per sandwich.

Assembly:

1. Preheat a grill pan or panini press to medium heat.
2. Butter the outside of your bread (I used an olive oil-rosemary focaccia), then spread about 1 teaspoon of your basil pesto on the inside of one slice of the bread.
3. Assemble the sandwich in this order: bread (with basil pesto), gruyère, 2-3 slices of prosciutto, sharp cheddar, bread.
4. Place the sandwich on the grill pan. Use something heavy to weight down the sandwich so that you get the pressed effect if you’re not using a panini press. Grill the sandwich on one side until it is nicely browned, then flip the sandwich until the other side is browned. Cut and serve hot!