How to Make Grilled Sandwiches without a Panini Press

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You don't need special equipment to make tasty grilled sandwiches at home; use the tools you already have, and save your money for the ingredients.

Step 1: Butter the bread
Lightly butter or brush with olive oil one side each of two pieces of bread.

Tip
Sturdy, evenly sliced bread works best. Rounded, crusty bread such as baguette is more difficult to press.

Step 2: Heat the pan
Preheat the larger frying pan on medium heat.

Tip
A griddle pan works best and will give you a pleasingly striped sandwich.

Step 3: Add the bread
Place each piece of bread in the pan, butter side down.

Step 4: Add the fillings
Stack your fillings on one piece. Roasted vegetables, sliced meats, and cheese are all tasty choices. Put the cheese on last.

Step 5: Top it off
Put the other piece of bread on top of the fillings, butter or oil side up.

Step 6: Press
Press down on the sandwich with the second pan, and keep pressing as the sandwich cooks.

Tip
Place a foil-wrapped brick on your sandwich as it cooks to get the panini-press effect.

Step 7: Flip
Peek at the underside of the sandwich. When it's nicely browned, carefully flip it over. Compress it again and cook it until it's golden on both sides, and the cheese has melted.

Did You Know?
The first Westerner to see the Hawaiian Islands called them the Sandwich Islands, after the British Earl of Sandwich. The name lasted until 1819.