Most of my recipes are usually planned or created late at night and as I return home from work at around 10 p.m. only because I have lots of quiet time. So, in the refrigerator were some cold cuts, cheese and a few little extras to make this Panini sandwich to die for.

My Italian Panini Sandwich with Mustard and Basil Mayo recipe uses delicatessen sliced meats, where your helpful deli person can slice them to order...if you ask them nicely. :) Good bread is necessary for this sandwich, also. A great old-fashioned hearth-type, rustic bread is ideal here which your local bakery can slice for you, making life easier and will make this sandwich special!

However, you can use any type of bread you love for this recipe, such as sourdough or ciabatta even. These rustic breads help to hold the sandwich together nicely. I would stay away from the fluffy sandwich bread or whole wheat bread as one will squish down on the grill and the other will burn, only because there are grains involved – however, if you love dark toasted whole wheat bread – go for it! We need to be happy eaters.

This recipe is for one sandwich. Double the quantities if you are making 2.




Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 long slices of rustic bread
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
4 thin slices provolone cheese
2 thin slices of lean ham
4 thin slices of mortadella
4 thin slices of hard salami

Method

Preheat a sandwich press on high.

1. In a small bowl combine the mustard, mayonnaise and basil. Mix this well and can be made a day ahead of time, blending the flavors.

2. Brush the outside of each slice of bread with the olive oil. Spread the mustard basil mayo evenly on the other side of the bread.

3. Layer the sandwich as follows:- 2 slices of provolone cheese, 1 slice of ham, 2 slices of mortadella, 4 slices salami (folded over,) 2 slices mortadella, 1 slice of ham and 2 slices of provolone cheese.

4. Grill on high for approximately 3 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned to your liking and the cheese has melted.

You can turn this sandwich into dinner easily by serving a light soup or simple garden salad alongside. This sandwich has tons of flavors and the mustard and basil mayonnaise turns an Italian classic into something special. As an alternative, a great store bought olive tapenade would also jazz it up. Enjoy!