Healthy Grilled Avocado & Cheese Panini

WITHOUT BUYING A NEW GRILL

Hi Y’All!

We have been so busy at The Hard Hat Belles cooking up some yummy sandwiches. Grab your drink and a seat and we’ll get down to the nitty gritty details on how to make a healthy Panini sandwich by using your waffle iron, George Foreman (or similar), or sandwich maker.

My Introduction to the Panini

I was introduced to the home made Panini when I started hanging out with Wiebke. I have had a Panini at the Panera Bread restaurant before, but since Wiebke has been making a very healthy Panini during most of our shoots I have to say hers are just AWESOME!! I am totally hooked and I am never going to look back.

Equipment Needed for the Perfect Panini

When I started paying attention to the way Wiebke makes her grilled Panini I was amazed at how simple it was. The little grill she uses was purchased by her husband as a gag gift from the Salvation Army. Her family has a Christmas tradition that involves a trip to the Salvation Army every year. Their tradition involves a set amount of dollars spent and contingencies on the item purchased. I know one of the years revolved around the gifts being a certain color (I think red). Another year they had five minutes to find the gift; I believe that is the year she received the grill.

Needless to say, you don’t have to purchase a special Panini Sandwich maker like the ones Kohl’s sells to make these delish Panini. You can just use your existing George Forman or similar (which is what I use) or some waffle griddles you have around the house.

More Panini Ideas & Suggestions

Make sure to check out our Pinterest site for our recommended Panini ideas and below are a few more suggestions (Although these sandwich recipes below are cooked on top of the stove try using Wiebke’s Panini method and add a few twists yourselves). Be prepared to be blown away with texture and flavor!

Pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce, Parmesan, whole-grain bread by Rachel Gurk
Smoked Salmon, dill, goat cheese, ciabatta by Deanna Samaan
Goat cheese, prosciutto, Dijon mustard, whole grain bread, goat cheese, Anjou pear by Lia Huber
Cooked peeled sweet potato, Havarti, kale, granny smith apple, whole-grain bread by Maria and Josh Lichty
Brie, dark chocolate, raspberry jam, raspberries, sourdough by Monique Volz

The Grilled Avocado & Cheese Panini Recipe

No need to use any kind of oils, butter or margarine on the Panini bread on non stick grills as this is the healthy aspect of Wiebke’s Panini
Preheat your grill
Lay out the bread slices on the cutting board (we used 9 grain)
Place a slice of cheese onto each slice of bread
Remove pit and slice the avocado
Slice tomatoes
Add sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes and salt & pepper to one half of the bread and cheese slices.
Top with remaining slices of cheese and bread.
Set the timer for approximately 3 minutes
Allow to cool for about a minute then slice
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