Baby Swiss Monte Cristo Panini Recipe

This is a guest post by Elana Birnbaum.

If you’re looking for a unique sandwich that’s sure to be a delicious delight, consider making a Baby Swiss Monte Cristo Panini with Black Pepper Strawberry Jam.

Yes, it’s a mouthful and a yummy one at that.

To make this tasty Panini you will need 12 slices of either egg or challah bread and some deli meats and cheeses including 12 slices of Baby Swiss Cheese (it has a milder flavor than standard Swiss), 12 ounces of sliced maple or honey glazed turkey breast and 12 ounces of sliced black forest ham.

You will also need 2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries, ½ a cup of sugar, 1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar, ½ a tsp. of freshly ground black pepper, 2 large eggs and ¼ cup of milk. You can also choose to add powdered sugar.

This interesting, sweet deli style sandwich is especially special due to the strawberry jam.

To make the jam, combine your strawberries, sugar, vinegar and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring this mix to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer your mixture uncovered until it is thickened. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove the mix from the heat and transfer it to a small bowl and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or until serving time. This will give your jam its jelly-like consistency.

To make the sandwiches, place 6 slices of cheese over 6 slices of bread and top with turkey, ham and the remaining cheese.

Finally, close the sandwiches with your remaining bread.

To make your bread panini perfect, beat together eggs and milk in a pie plate. Dip each sandwich lightly in your egg mixture and turn the sandwich to coat each side. Make sure this is just a thin coat, do not soak the sandwiches in this mixture. Cook your sandwiches in a preheated nonstick panini maker for about three minutes or until your bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

To complete the dish, just serve with your black pepper strawberry jam and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Enjoy your deliciously sweet panini!