If you have a panini press, then you should give yourself a round of applause. After all, you're the proud owner of the greatest upgrade to grilled cheese ever invented. Because the panini press weighs down bread as it cooks, the recipe below for cheese panini is crispier and meltier than a standard grilled cheese. The other nice thing about a panini press? Because it's electric, it provides even heating and cooks a sandwich in a fraction of the time.
If you don't have a press, never fear. You can mimic this recipe by using a smaller pan as a weight. After setting the sandwich in a large cast-iron skillet, cover the bottom of a smaller pan with aluminum foil. Set the smaller pan on the sandwich to press it down. It will take a bit longer, but the end result will be similar.
Cheese panini
2
5 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
4 slices of bread
2 teaspoons melted butter
4 slices of cheese
Preheat the panini maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
Brush one side of each slice of bread with 1/2 teaspoon of the melted butter. Gently set the two slices of the bread, butter side down, on a clean work surface.
Top two of the slices of bread with 2 slices of cheese. Close the sandwiches by topping them with the other slice of bread, buttered side up.
Place the sandwiches on the press and cook according to the manufacturer's directions until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts. This should take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut in half.