Pear Prosciutto Brie Panini

I used to think that panini was just a new way to classify a grilled sandwich made generally with cheeses and deli meats but it’s actually a little more than that.  Here’s a quick lesson.  A panini, called a panino in Italy where it was originated, is made from non-sliced bread.  A bread made from sliced bread is called a completely different word.    Panino in Italian means “small bread roll” and the plural is panini.  So in the U.S. we call them all panini no matter how many there are, not panini’s.  Did you know any of that?  Well, now you do.  And now you have a recipe for a really good panini with this Pear, Proscuitto, Brie Panini.

Some of you may be thinking, well I can’t make this, I don’t have a sandwich press or a panini maker?  Well I don’t either!  But I do have a George Foreman grill and it worked like a charm.  My husband had it from his bachelor days where he would cook grilled chicken breasts for his workout diet many years ago and I never got rid of it.  Have to say I’m glad I kept it around!  Do you have a Foreman or a real sandwich press?

Once I start making a certain type of food, I find that I begin to think of all sorts of options and possibilities…different flavor combinations.  So when I bought this wonderful French Peasant bread from my new favorite bakery my mind took off on its own.  I went to get the bread for my Banana Split Brioche French Toast Stack and came home with all kinds of goodies.  If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have seen some of them.

This was my second sandwich so far.  I’ll stay stuck on them until I get tired of all the different combinations I’ve been cooking up in my head and who knows when that might be.  But I’m enjoying it so that’s all that matters right now.

This was super simple.  I sliced the loaf completely and I did it on purpose.  Once I had the whole thing sliced, I took a piece from each side (leaving off the two ends, they were too small) and used one piece from each end.  This way they were the same size and fit together perfectly.  Had I just taken two from the same side one would be bigger than the other.  You’ll see what I mean when you make yours.  I buttered the outside of each slice.  Make sure you look at it and put the slices together the way you want it to go paying attention to which will be the outside and butter that.

I then layered thick slices of creamy brie, thick slices of anjou pear (you can use any pear you like…I chose anjou because they’re semi hard but not super hard and I like the flavor) and several slices of prosciutto.  I then added more brie on the other side.  Now I like cheese…a lot but if you don’t love it as much as I do, just do one side.  Green apple would be really nice also if you’re not a pear fan.

I put them on the Foreman and closed the lid.  I didn’t press.  I just let the weight of the top grill do that.  I left it until it was the color I wanted.  A warm, rich looking brown.  Then I took it out and there it is.  So easy!  And the flavor combinations are limitless!  Mine was delicious without any condiments but a nice spicy mustard would be good if you feel you needed one?

See how simple?  What’s your favorite panini combination?