People enjoy grilled sandwiches throughout the world for lunch, light dinners or snacks. They’re easy to make no matter if it’s simple or exotic sandwich. Here are some recipes for a variety of grilled sandwiches guaranteed to tempt any palate.
Grilled Vegetable and Mozzarella Sandwiches
3 cups diagonally cut zucchini
3 slices red onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 loaf ciabatta, cut in half horizontally
1 cup gourmet salad greens
5 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
8 fresh basil leaves
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, red onion, bell pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, tossing the vegetables to coat.
3. Remove vegetables from bowl, reserving vinegar mixture.
4. Place the onion and bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill 7 minutes on each side or until tender.
5. Grill zucchini for 3 minutes on each side or until tender.
6. Hollow out bottom half of bread, leaving a ½-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread, if desired.
7. Layer grilled vegetables, greens, cheese and basil in bottom of loaf.
8. Drizzle reserved vinegar mixture on top.
9. Cover with top of bread and press lightly.
10. Place filled loaf on grill rack and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until cheese melts. Cut into quarters and serve.
-Makes 4 servings
Grilled Cheddar Cheese and Ham Sandwiches
¼ cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
8 6X4-inch slices country-style bread
½ pound cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
¼ pound thinly sliced smoked ham
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, Dijon mustard, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Arrange 4 bread slices on a work surface.
3. Divide half the cheese equally among bread slices. Top with ham, then onion, tomato and remaining cheese.
4. Top sandwiches with remaining bread.
5. Spread herb butter on outside of sandwich tops and bottoms.
6. Heat grill to medium-high heat or large skillet. If using a grill, spray grill with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Add sandwiches and cook until bottoms are golden, about 3 minutes. Turn sandwiches over, cover skillet or grill and cook until cheese melts and bread is golden, about 3 minutes.
-Makes 4
Tuscan-Style Grilled Chicken Sandwich
¼ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons prepared pesto
2 4X4-inch squares focaccia ciabatta
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Olive oil
4 thin slices fresh mozzarella
2 canned artichoke hearts, drained and thinly sliced
1 plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 cup mixed baby greens
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine mayonnaise and pesto in small bowl and whisk to blend.
3. Cut bread horizontally in half.
4. Brush chicken lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Grill chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
6. Transfer chicken to cutting board; cool slightly. Cut chicken on sharp diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices.
7. Spread pesto mayonnaise onto cut surfaces of bread. Layer chicken, mozzarella, artichokes, tomato and greens onto bottom halves. Top with bread tops.
-Makes 2
Grilled Flank Steak, Onion and Bell Pepper Sandwiches
3 cups dry red wine
3 cups chopped onions
2-1/4 cups soy sauce
¾ cup olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
4-1/2 pounds flank steaks
6 large bell peppers (red, yellow and/or green), cut into 3/8-inch wide strips
3 large red onions, cut into ½-inch-thick rings
Grilled French Bread Rolls
1. In a large bowl, combine wine, onions, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, mustard and ginger. Whisk to blend.
2. Divide steaks, bell peppers and red onions among large shallow pans. Pour marinade over steaks. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours.
3. Prepare grill to high heat.
4. Drain steaks and vegetables.
5. Grill steaks to desired degree of doneness, about 4 minutes per side for rare. Transfer to platter.
6. Grill vegetables until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes per side.
7. Slice steaks thinly across grain. Arrange steaks and vegetables on large platter. Serve will grilled rolls, allowing diners to assemble sandwiches.
-Makes 12
Grilled Kielbasa Sandwiches
¾ to 1 pound whole smoked kielbasa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon drained bottled horseradish
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 small head Boston lettuce, torn into small pieces
4 (6-inch long) crusty rolls
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Cut kielbasa crosswise into 4 long sections, then halve each section lengthwise.
3. Whisk together oil, mustard, horseradish, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended. Toss lettuce with half of vinaigrette and reserve remainder.
4. Grill tops and bottoms of rolls on lightly oiled grill rack, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to platter, cut sides up.
5. Brush cut sides of top halves of bread with remaining vinaigrette and mound salad on bottom halves.
6. Grill sausage on lightly oiled grill rack, about 2 minutes each side. Arrange sausage on top of lettuce (2 pieces per sandwich) and cover with top halves of rolls. Cut sandwiches in half crosswise.
-Makes 4
Pulled-Pork Barbecued Sandwiches
¼ cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sugar
6 slices provolone cheese
12 sandwich-cut bread-and-butter pickles
6 Kaiser rolls
1. In a medium saucepan, place barbecue sauce, garlic powder pork tenderloin, cumin and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until sauce thickens and pork is very tender. Remove from heat.
3. Remove pork from sauce; shred pork and return pork to sauce.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, thyme and sugar. Cook 10 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove onion mixture from pan into a bowl and keep covered.
5. Wipe out pan and add more oil. Place 1 cheese slice, ½ cup pork mixture, about 2 tablespoons onion mixture and 2 pickle slices on bottom half of each roll.
6. Cover with top halves of rolls. Add 3 sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches and press gently to flatten. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted. Remove heavy skillet and serve.
-Makes 6 sandwiches.
