Smoked Turkey Panini

To me, sandwiches are an essential comfort food. They can be a go-to late night snack, quick and easy lunch, or just convenient finger food. As a newly wed, I was very surprised to learn that my husband rarely ate sandwiches. He's basically a rice-and-curry kind of guy, not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, I've been known to go through rice withdrawal if I haven't had it for a while. But sandwiches? I can't live without them, either!

Because my husband usually takes lunch with him to work, (and because I'm the one who has to pack it) I slowly started introducing him to sandwiches. I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised at his response. At first, I couldn't tell if he really liked them or if he was just saying it to please me. My doubts were allayed when he began special requesting sandwich days! (Insert proud wifey comment here.) Of course, this doesn't mean he has given up entirely on toting his large thermos container of Guyanese food - nor would I ever expect him to. I'm just really happy that he's branching out and trying new foods, and I'm super excited to be the one introducing them to him! 

So for yesterday's lunch, the hubby asked if I could make him a deli turkey sandwich. Since I had sourdough panini bread on hand, I did even better than that and grilled up this scrumptious panini. Remember, the better your ingredients, the better your sandwich! I used smoked deli turkey, which I got from our local halal meat market. I also opted for a nice, smoked provolone cheese, but you can use any sliced cheese you like. 

Ingredients

• 4 slices of panini style bread (check your supermarket's fresh bakery)
• 10-12 slices of fresh deli-cut smoked turkey 
• 4 slices of smoked provolone (or other cheese)
• mayonnaise or mustard
• butter or margarine spread

Directions

1. Spread butter on both sides of the bread. I used Olivio, which is a lower fat alternative made with olive oil. You can also use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or a similar spread.
2. Heat a griddle or a crepe pan over medium heat. Place the bread on the pan, making sure it lays nice and flat (no overlap). Allow it  to toast for about 2 minutes on each side, or until it is just barely golden brown. (You will continue browning it later.)
3. Remove the bread from the pan and lower the heat. Working in batches, place the turkey on the same pan, cooking for only 20-30 seconds on each side. Use tongs to lift the slices off the pan and lay them on top of the bread in a crumpled fashion. Use about 5-6 slices for each sandwich, depending on how much you want or how big your bread is.
4. Place two slices of cheese over the turkey, slightly overlapping each other. Cover with the remaining slices, and return the entire ensemble to the pan. Use a pot lid or the back of your spatula to press down on the sandwich, this will flatten it slightly and allow the bread to brown crisply and evenly. 
5. After two minutes, gently flip it over and repeat the pressing motion. Remove from heat after two more minutes. Serve warm, or wrap in aluminum foil for later! Enjoy!

Original recipe

by me :)