Italian Grilled Cheese
Red wine with a grilled cheese sandwich? Absolutely! They both taste better together. These sandwiches are terrific, and adding a dash of oregano gives them a decidedly Italian twist. Paired with soup, you have a meal, especially if you add a side salad and a glass of wine. A panini press makes grilling the sandwiches a snap, but you can also use a nonstick pan and weigh the sandwich down with a heavy lid—just be sure to grease the lid, so it doesn’t stick to the bread.
Italian Grilled Cheese
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes
8 slices thin-sliced white bread
¼ cup (60 milliliters) mayonnaise
10 ounces (300 grams) fontina cheese, sliced thin
3.5 ounces (100 grams) prosciutto, about 8 slices
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced medium thin
dried oregano, to taste
10 ounces (300 grams) Gruyère cheese, sliced thin
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) each: melted butter and olive oil, mixed in a small bowl
Directions
Place 8 slices of bread on a cutting board. Spread mayonnaise over the bread slices. Arrange sandwiches by distributing the fontina on 4 slices, followed by the prosciutto, the tomato, the oregano, and the Gruyère. Top with remaining bread slices, mayonnaise side to cheese.
Heat panini press or warm a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the 4 sandwiches. Use a basting brush to lightly coat bread with the melted butter-olive oil mixture, coating the top and bottom slices if using a panini pan, and only the top slice if using a skillet. If using a skillet, pour in remaining butter-oil mixture, adding additional butter if it seems insufficient. Top with a heavy lid and grill sandwiches, making certain they aren’t burning, until cheese is runny. If using a skillet, you will need to flip the sandwiches and weigh them down again halfway through.
Place on a cutting board and cut into quarters. Serve immediately.
About Molesini Wine Club
This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
