Three Cheese Apple Onion Panini

Alright, so this might not be the fanciest or most complicated meal I've ever made, but its delicious nevertheless. What is truly better than melted cheeses, toasted bread, and fresh vegetables? In my mind, not a whole lot!

So for this dinner, I made a gourmet cheese and vegetable panini... or, if you will, an upscale grilled cheese. This all started when I visited a fromagerie, sampling a variety of cheeses. They were of course delicious (well, most of them) and I came home laden with a few new varieties. They were originally meant as a snack item, but after the farmer's market opened outside my building for the season, I realized that they would also be wonderfully utilized in a simple panini that highlighted the cheeses while adding some complementing flavors! So you'll find below a three-cheese panini with fresh apples and spring onions. The apples are sweet and pair perfectly with the raisin challah (also from the farmer's market) I used for the bread, and then the spring onions cut the sweetness perfectly without overshadowing the other flavors. Delicious!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 15 min
Cost: $12.66



Three Cheese Apple Onion Panini
Ingredients:
4 slices Raisin Challah
1 oz aged gouda
1 oz of a creamier cheese (think d'Affinois style)
1 oz of a sharper cheese (but not too sharp)
1 fresh apple, thinly sliced
1/2 c spring onion, sliced

First, prepare your cheese by thinly slicing them. There is no need to actually grate them, but just grab a sharp knife and thinly slice them so they will melt nicely into one another.

Dress your panini! Place two slices of challah (nice, thick slices) in front of you. Put a quarter of the cheese on each slice. Then, layer half of the apple on top of each. Split the green onion slices in half and put half of those on each. Finally, put the remaining cheese, split evenly, on each pile and top with the other slice of challah. Putting the cheese on either end allows it to serve as the "glue" and keep the bread and other ingredients all together.

Heat a panini press, or in my case, a foreman grill. I actually chose to use the grill plates to get the lovely dark grill lines that are inherent to delicious paninis.

When the panini press or grill has heated to medium, place the sandwiches carefully on the plate. Lower the top lid. (Note: If you are using a Foreman grill, keep it flat and do not incline it as you would normally for grilling.)

Let the weight of the top lid slowly press down on the sandwiches, mushing them together. By the time your challah is done cooking it should be half the volume!

Let your sandwiches cook for 8-10 minutes, or until you are satisfied with their browning and the melting of the cheese. Then remove, slice in half, and enjoy the miracle of melted cheese accented with fresh farmer's market wares immediately!