Name: Grilled Fresh Mozzarella Sandwiches with Olive Paste and Roasted Red Peppers
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 teaspoons olive paste; 4 slices european-style country bread; 3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, grated on large holes of box grater; 2 ounces roasted red peppers cut into 1/2-inch strips; Ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Why This Recipe Works

Simple as they are, we found we had lots of questions to answer if we wanted to come up with a really good grilled cheese recipe. Evenly coating the bread (not the pan) with butter ensured an evenly golden product; brushing melted butter on the bread really did the job. As for when to turn the sandwich, the longer you take, the more developed and crispy the exterior will be; low to medium-low heat is what's wanted. Tradition calls for thinly sliced cheese to ensure even melting. But cutting uniformly thin slices of cheese from a block was no easy task; we found that grating got us to the same destination—an even layer of cheese on the bread—without the aggravation.

Instructions

Heat a heavy 12-inch skillet over low to medium-low heat. Meanwhile, spread 1 teaspoon olive paste on each slice of bread. Sprinkle half of cheese over two bread slices. Top each with a portion of roasted red pepper strips, a few grinds of black pepper, remaining cheese, and remaining bread slice, pressing down gently to set.

Brush sandwich tops completely with half the olive oil; place each sandwich, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush remaining side of each sandwich completely with remaining oil. Cook until crisp and deep golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes per side, flipping sandwiches back to first side to re-heat and crisp, about 15 seconds. Rub the toasted sandwiches with the garlic half. Serve.