best toasted/grilled sandwiches

[gingerbeer]

I was just in the middle of studying on a cold day with not much food in the house. I had some slightly stale bread, so took some good quality Italian salami, ordinary tomatoes and mature cheddar, melted some butter in a pan and made a really good toasted sandwich. Simple and delicious. What are your favourites?

As a child, my mum used to make really good steak and mustard ones, as well as ones with leftover minced beef. And there is always simple cheese.

[John S.]

I was just in the middle of studying on a cold day with not much food in the house. I had some slightly stale bread, so took some good quality Italian salami, ordinary tomatoes and mature cheddar, melted some butter in a pan and made a really good toasted sandwich. Simple and delicious. What are your favourites?

As a child, my mum used to make really good steak and mustard ones, as well as ones with leftover minced beef. And there is always simple cheese.

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I usually go with the following when I feel like a grilled sandwich. A couple slices of a good hearty bread, buttered on both sides. While one side is toasting (low-medium) I put a couple pre-roasted, skinned and seeded poblanos (erroneously called pasillas in most stores) on the up side. Some muenster slices and grilled red onions follow. Put the two halves together and finish grilling. I got the idea from Mark Miller.

John S.

[Shoom]

Swiss cheese and caramelized onion on whole wheat, grilled, is a good one. Or, dense white bread with sharp cheddar, with Major Grey's chutney.

[Octaveman]

The ingredients vary depending on what I have available in the fridge very much like my stir fry dishes but usually consists of grilling on a panini grill thin asparagus, bell pepper, red onion/shallots. Then butter the bread adding a little garlic salt and parmigiano then toast it all together with whatever cheese I have to hold it all together. I also usually add basil if I have it or cilantro. If I have leftover meat of some type I'll add that too. So nothing specific but oh so yummy.

[chezcherie]

using up the last of the turkey last week, we enjoyed several panini along the lines of:

ciabatta with thin sliced turkey, havarti, red onion, red pepper ancho chile jam and red onions, pressed.

tasty with ham, too.

[phatj]

I only recently had a cubano for the first time (I thought, what's the big deal? It's just a ham sandwich), and it was a revelation.

[Toufas]

i am going to make this soon : http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5096/1228306626882tz9.jpg

[jackal10]

Good farmhouse cheddar and Worcester sauce

Nothing else.

[merstar]

This is really good. I've made it many times with lots of variations, subs, and additions.

GRILLED SWISS CHEESE, TUNA AND RED PEPPER SANDWICHES

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/10356

[paulraphael]

Lately I've been grilling sandwiches in my broiler (which is uneven and generally terrible, but makes quick work of a the project. and like a little browning and bubbling on the cheese).

My favorite so far is sourdough bread, sliced thick from a boule and dabbed in olive oil, melted gruyere, ham (i've been loving Niman Ranch Jambon Royale, a shoulder cut ham sold by whole foods), thin sliced pears, or tomato, or shallots, and dijon mustard. Yum.

[gingerbeer]

These all sound delicious, but omg, I agree with the cubano being a revelation. And I must try that egg one!

[Amarantha]

Cheese, tomato s&p

[Tri2Cook]

I apologize if this sounds disgusting but a common after work snack for me is to grill a nice sharp cheddar on a flax bagel and eat it with gooseberry jam. It was a late-night, after work, I'm hungry, "wonder how this would taste?" moment that I've been hooked on since. Ok, now everybody can return to the world of normal food.

[scubadoo97]

I only recently had a cubano for the first time (I thought, what's the big deal? It's just a ham sandwich), and it was a revelation.

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Oh yeah! This Tampa born boy loves them.

[Dave the Cook]

Patty melts!

[Mayhaw Man]

Thanks to the inspirational discussion on this thread, I just enjoyed a roasted chicken sandwich.

I made it in the broiler on my totally cheap, and remarkably well made, Kenmore oven.

It consisted of

Roasted chicken

Blue cheese from John Folse sprinkled with some outstanding, freshly great parm

thinly sliced red onions (on top of the cheese)

thinly sliced cherry tomatoes covering the other piece of bread

A ton of fresh ground black pepper

Once it was cooked, I put a bit of homemade, basil mayo and some Zatarain's mustard on it.

I then consumed it, and decided, correctly, that another was in order so I did it all over again.

I paired this with Golden Flake Potato Chips, some of Brooksie's pickles, and a hunk of leftover coconut cake for dessert.

Thomas Keller did not eat a better lunch. Too bad for him.

Now I'm off to plumb a new kitchen for a friend with a big house that needs a real plumber (as opposed to that Joe guy).

[gingerbeer]

mmm this is all so inspiring.

ok - next question, HOW do you make your sandwich grilled/toasted? i always get a pan hot, butter one side of each piece of bread, fill in the sandwich between the unbuttered sides and then put the whole sandwich in the pan until it's brown and kind of crispy.

i know some people toast the bread before, some people grill it then fill it, etc. you?

[gingerbeer]

I apologize if this sounds disgusting but a common after work snack for me is to grill a nice sharp cheddar on a flax bagel and eat it with gooseberry jam. It was a late-night, after work, I'm hungry, "wonder how this would taste?" moment that I've been hooked on since. Ok, now everybody can return to the world of normal food.

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no that sounds so good!

[prasantrin]

I apologize if this sounds disgusting but a common after work snack for me is to grill a nice sharp cheddar on a flax bagel and eat it with gooseberry jam. It was a late-night, after work, I'm hungry, "wonder how this would taste?" moment that I've been hooked on since. Ok, now everybody can return to the world of normal food.

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no that sounds so good!

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Ditto!

It's kind of like fried cheese served with lingonberry jam served at a Danish/Czech restaurant I like. Except they use brie (or camembert?) instead of cheddar.

If you're into spicy stuff, try grilled cheese eaten with Thai sweet chili sauce. I haven't had it, but a fried cheese spring roll (just cheddar cheese wrapped in spring roll wrappers and fried) dipped in sweet chili sauce is very very good, so I imagine the grilled cheese version would be, too!

[Channie]

ok - next question, HOW do you make your sandwich grilled/toasted?

Proper method: Heat the pan, and then zig-zag a cube of butter across the bottom so that the pan is evenly and lightly coated. Place the assembled, unbuttered sandwich in the pan until the bottom has browned. Remove the sandwich and re-butter the pan. Flip sandwich over, return to pan until second side is brown, cheese is melted and oozing from the edges, and bits of cheese have gone crunchy and brown.

[pam claughton]

My mini George Foreman grill makes the best panini sandwiches, every bit as good if not better than more expensive panini presses. Think I got mine on sale for around $20 years ago.

Two favorites both involved turkey on good country white bread (like Panera's), butter the outsides and fill with turkey, carmelized onion and cheddar

Or, my absolute favorite is either turkey or roasted chicken, a bit of honey mustard and roasted red pepper hummus.

Pam

[phatj]

My mini George Foreman grill makes the best panini sandwiches, every bit as good if not better than more expensive panini presses. Think I got mine on sale for around $20 years ago.

Two favorites both involved turkey on good country white bread (like Panera's), butter the outsides and fill with turkey, carmelized onion and cheddar

Or, my absolute favorite is either turkey or roasted chicken, a bit of honey mustard and roasted red pepper hummus.

Pam

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Damn, I used to have a mini-GF grill but sold it at a yard sale a few years ago because we hadn't ever used it. This was before I had experienced the magic that is the cubano.

[lancastermike]

A well made Reuben is one of the all time great sandwiches. The bread should be well grilled and crispy. I usually start both sides of the bread down with have the makings on each than flip them together for a final bit of grill time on each side to let thinks meld to gether.

[Chris Hennes]

A well made Reuben is one of the all time great sandwiches. The bread should be well grilled and crispy.  I usually start both sides of the bread down with have the makings on each than flip them together for a final bit of grill time on each side to let thinks meld to gether.

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I could not agree more, with both the assessment of the Reuben, and with the production technique. In addition, I prefer to give the bread a generous dose of melted butter on the outside, and to start on a cold griddle over a medium-low flame. This seems to result in the best texture: shatteringly crisp exterior, and warmed through but still soft interior. I heat the sauerkraut separately to keep it from making the bread soggy.

[DTBarton]

Cheese, tomato s&p

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This is the real deal when the summer tomatoes are in.

As for method, I think buttering the bread works better than buttering the pan and it uses less butter.