Little Italy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 28, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 ⅓ cups grated provolone cheese ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped¼ cup jarred pepperoncini, drained and minced8 slices hearty white sandwich bread 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted16 very thin slices hard salami 8 teaspoons kalamata olive spread
Before You Begin
The olive spread (sometimes labeled tapenade) is optional but delicious.
Instructions
- Combine cheeses in bowl. Combine peppers and pepperoncini in bowl. Brush top side of each slice of bread with melted butter. Flip 4 slices over, layer each with 1/4 cup cheese mixture, 2 thin slices of salami, one quarter of pepper mixture, 2 additional slices salami, 2 teaspoons olive spread (if using), and 1/4 cup additional cheese mixture. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
- Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight with round cake pan, pressing lightly. Leave cake pan on top and cook until first side is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip sandwiches, press again with cake pan, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches.
- Cooking For a Crowd:Grilled cheese sandwiches are best cooked two at a time. If you want to keep the first batch hot, place a baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 250 degrees. When the first batch is done, slide the sandwiches onto the hot baking sheet to keep them crisp and warm.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 ⅓ cups grated provolone cheese
⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
¼ cup jarred pepperoncini, drained and minced
8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 very thin slices hard salami
8 teaspoons kalamata olive spread
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 ⅓ cups grated provolone cheese
⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
¼ cup jarred pepperoncini, drained and minced
8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 very thin slices hard salami
8 teaspoons kalamata olive spread
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 ⅓ cups grated provolone cheese
⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
¼ cup jarred pepperoncini, drained and minced
8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 very thin slices hard salami
8 teaspoons kalamata olive spread
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
In our Little Italy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches recipe, the right ingredients coupled with the proper technique gave us perfect sandwiches. Buttering the bread—not the pan—gave our sandwiches the most even browning. Cooking the sandwiches over medium-low heat allowed the cheese to melt evenly and the bread to brown deeply. For an authentic taste of New York’s Little Italy, we combined provolone with mozzarella and add roasted peppers, jarred pepperoncini, and salami. For a crisp crust, we pressed the grilled cheese sandwiches with a cake pan to mimic a panini press.
Before You Begin
The olive spread (sometimes labeled tapenade) is optional but delicious.
Instructions
- Combine cheeses in bowl. Combine peppers and pepperoncini in bowl. Brush top side of each slice of bread with melted butter. Flip 4 slices over, layer each with 1/4 cup cheese mixture, 2 thin slices of salami, one quarter of pepper mixture, 2 additional slices salami, 2 teaspoons olive spread (if using), and 1/4 cup additional cheese mixture. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
- Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight with round cake pan, pressing lightly. Leave cake pan on top and cook until first side is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip sandwiches, press again with cake pan, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches.
- Cooking For a Crowd:Grilled cheese sandwiches are best cooked two at a time. If you want to keep the first batch hot, place a baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 250 degrees. When the first batch is done, slide the sandwiches onto the hot baking sheet to keep them crisp and warm.
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