A Panini for Sunday Breakfast

I love Sundays mostly because it's the only day of the week I don't feel overwhelmed to roll quickly out of bed, storm to the bathroom and sulk while brushing my teeth. Sundays are usually lazy, I lie in bed thinking about the sweet aroma of coffee, deciding whether to have a sweet breakfast (pancakes! waffles! muffins!) or savoury breakfast (eggs! bacon! sandwich!).

Fresh ciabatta bread took over the mind today, and I decided to wake up and whip together some lovely panini. We've contemplated getting a panini press, which we might at some point later in the year, but for now, our trusty, wussy old George Foreman grill works well for getting our paninis hot and crusty.


One of the ingredients I used in the panini was a bottle of hot peppers we picked up from Potbelly sandwich shop in Chicago. It's a combination of pickled jalapenos, bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, celery and cauliflower which lends a subtle spicy taste to kick up the panini.

Honey Smoked Ham Panini with Caramelized Onions and Provolone
Serves 2

1 loaf fresh ciabatta bread, halved and sliced in the middle
8 slices deli honey smoked ham (we used Hormel Natural Choice ham)
4 tbsp caramelized onions (recipe below)
2 tbsp hot peppers (jarred jalapenos would work)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 slices provolone cheese
Dijon mustard
Mayonnaise
Sliced tomatoes and lettuce leaves

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of the ciabatta. Layer with 4 slices of ham and top with caramelized onions and hot peppers and provolone. Sprinkle some fresh rosemary on top. On the other side of bread, spread a thin layer of mustard and sandwich the bread together. Grill on a panini press until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes on each side.

Caramelized Onions
1 onion, sliced thinly into rings
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup dry vermouth or sherry

In a stainless steel skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil. When the pan starts to smoke, add in the onions and turn the heat down to low. Gently saute the onions until they turn transluscent and start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add in brown sugar and saute for another 6-7 minutes. Gently add in vermouth and turn up heat, simmering until all the vermouth is absorbed and the onions are soft and brown.