Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 8, 2011
Time
30 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil Salt and pepper 4 ounces thinly sliced deli pepperoni 8 ounces thinly sliced Provolone deli cheese 8 slices thick-cut crusty bread (see note)8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Mash mixture with potato masher until only small chunks of tomato remain. Stir in 1 tablespoon basil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
- Arrange pepperoni in single layer on paper towel-lined plate. Cover with paper towels and microwave until fat has rendered, about 30 seconds.
- Layer provolone on 4 slices bread, then top with pepperoni, remaining basil, and mozzarella. Top with remaining bread. Heat grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight with Dutch oven. Cook sandwiches until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve with tomato sauce.
Time
30 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced deli pepperoni
8 ounces thinly sliced Provolone deli cheese
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread (see note)
8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella cheese
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced deli pepperoni
8 ounces thinly sliced Provolone deli cheese
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread (see note)
8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella cheese
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced deli pepperoni
8 ounces thinly sliced Provolone deli cheese
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread (see note)
8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella cheese
Why This Recipe Works
For the tomato sauce in our Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich, a small can of diced tomatoes tasted better and required less effort than fresh tomatoes, and their juices had a bright flavor. To prevent the pepperoni from leaching grease into the Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich, we briefly microwaved it between sheets of paper towel. This quick step removed much of the grease without toughening the meat. To get the signature ridged grill marks and crisp exterior provided by a panini press, we used a nonstick grill pan and weighed down the sandwiches with a Dutch oven.
Instructions
- Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Mash mixture with potato masher until only small chunks of tomato remain. Stir in 1 tablespoon basil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
- Arrange pepperoni in single layer on paper towel-lined plate. Cover with paper towels and microwave until fat has rendered, about 30 seconds.
- Layer provolone on 4 slices bread, then top with pepperoni, remaining basil, and mozzarella. Top with remaining bread. Heat grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight with Dutch oven. Cook sandwiches until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve with tomato sauce.
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