Happy Friday! If you're reading this, it means I survived the first week of my accelerated summer Anatomy & Physiology course { but just barely }. Man, it's been rough! I have been studying literally 24/7, but at least I get a 3-day weekend! To celebrate, I made this ridiculously easy, supremely delicious, Panera-inspired panini. It uses simple ingredients cooked in a way that makes them extra-tasty! All you need is a few summer veggies, mozzarella cheese, and crusty Italian bread. Let's eat!
One of my favorite things about summer in Texas is grilling! You can always grill the standard hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken breasts, but my favorite thing to grill is veggies. It's so embarrassingly easy and fast, but cooking vegetables this way makes them taste amazing and almost indulgent! I love brushing them with some garlic oil after cooking to make them more flavorful and to prevent them from tasting dry and cardboard-y. My family always does eggplant, zucchini, and peppers, but the options are endless! I've also grilled nectarines and pineapple before and that was delicious, too. I added some fresh baby tomatoes in the sandwich to make it taste more fresh and summery, just because I felt like only grilled veggies in here would be a bit much! The sandwich is then finished by pressing it in a panini grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese and make the bread yummy and crisp. And that's all! So easy and healthy but totally scrumptious.
- 8 slices crusty italian bread
- 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into thin strips
- 1 eggplant, cut into thin rounds
- 1 cup baby tomatoes, rinsed and halved
- 1 bell pepper, cut into wide strips
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- First, fire up the grill to medium-high heat and prepare the rest as it heats up.
- Wash all vegetables, and cut as directed. Sprinkle the eggplant and zucchini with salt and set them on a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture that may leach out.
- When the grill is hot, place the zucchini, eggplant, and peppers on and let them cook for 4-5 minutes undisturbed.
- Check on them, and if they have nice grill marks, flip them over and let them cook for another couple of minutes on the other side.
- When cooked through, remove to a large plate and set aside.
- In a small ramekin or cup, combine the olive oil and smashed garlic, and heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Sprinkle salt on your grilled vegetables, then drizzle with the garlic olive oil.
- Now, turn on your panini grill.
- Lay out your slices of bread, and top each with ¼ cup of the shredded mozzarella { you want cheese on both sides of each sandwich }.
- Top each sandwich with some eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and cut baby tomatoes, and close them up, being careful not to spill the cheese everywhere!
- Place sandwiches in the panini grill, and let cook undisturbed until all cheese is melted and sandwiches have pronounced grill marks. Serve immediately!
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