Grilled Ham and Brie Panini with Green Apple

By AMY GRAMLICH

This ham and apple panini is simple enough for lunch and special enough for dinner. Sandwiched between two pieces of thick bread and nestled in a layer of gooey cheese, deli ham and thinly sliced green apples pair well together. A flavor explosion comes from your favorite style of deli ham and the tartness of the green apples.

Move over American cheese! Brie and mozzarella are the stars of the show when it comes to this grilled sandwich. The mozzarella provides the gooey stretch that people expect when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches. The creamy thick base of brie cheese acts as a complement to the crisp apples.

Bread and Spread

When it comes to the bread, a sturdy bread — like a medium to thick sourdough — is preferable, as there will be a hefty filling to this sandwich.

The first step in building a great ham and cheese panini involves adding softened spread to the outside of each slice of bread.

The two most common spreads for the outside of grilled sandwiches are butter or mayonnaise. If using butter, the butter should be softened. Softening the butter is key when it comes to buttering the outer pieces of any panini or grilled sandwich. Cold butter can be difficult to spread.

Also, the size of the bread slices will determine the size of the ham slices you use.

Selecting Ham for Ham and Cheese Panini Sandwiches

More than likely, the variety of deli ham you already keep on hand will work fine for this recipe. Honey maple ham from the deli is a great choice, as is any other sweet variety of ham. For this type of sandwich, it is best to go with a thinner deli cut.

You also might wish to use up leftover ham for this recipe. Leftover ham is perfect for this recipe as long as you slice the ham into very thin slices.

For this recipe, you can ask your local deli to slice the cheese into thin slices. Or you can simply cut out a wedge and cut the wedge into thin slices. Since brie is a soft creamy cheese, the slices may not slice perfectly, but that will not matter. After all, the cheese is going to be melted into the sandwich.

Slicing Apples

The key to using green apples in this recipe is to slice them thin and evenly.

First, slice the apple in half from top to bottom, cutting out the core and scooping out any seeds. Next, you will cut those two pieces into halves, producing quarters.

At this point, proceed to slice each apple quarter into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick. One apple typically provides enough slices for three to four sandwiches.

No Panini Press? No Problem!

If you do not own a panini press, you can enjoy this ham and brie panini using other cooking methods.

Use a skillet: Prepare the sandwich as instructed, and place in a skillet on the stove on medium heat. Grill 1 side for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the sandwich, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.

Use a George Foreman Grill: Build the sandwich according to the recipe, and place on a preheated George Foreman grill. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, checking for doneness. Remove when the sandwich appears golden brown.

Ingredients for 1 Sandwich

2 tablespoons mayo or softened butter

2 slices thick bread

Brie cheese, sliced thinly to cover surface of sandwich

2 slices deli ham, thinly sliced

¼ green apple, thinly sliced

¼ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (or 1 slice of mozzarella cheese)

1 tablespoon sandwich spread of choice (yellow mustard, honey mustard or mayo)

Instructions

1. Heat panini press to 350 degrees.

2. Spread the outside of 1 bread slice with 1 tablespoon of butter or mayo. Place the bread with the spread facing down onto a plate.

3. Over top, layer the brie.

4. Next, layer on the ham. You may need to fold the ham or trim the ham to ensure there isn’t too much overhang.

5. Over the ham, add enough green apple slices — around 5 or 6 —to cover the surface evenly.

6. Add the mozzarella cheese.

Working with Brie Cheese

Brie can be a bit more tricky to work with than many other cheeses. Popular on the hors d’oeuvre menu or on charcuterie boards at parties, this cheese is often served in wedges — sliced from a disc — with a cheese spreader to be served with crackers and fruit.

7. On the second slice of bread, add your favorite sandwich spread (mustard or mayo) to 1 side. Place this slice of bread on the sandwich with the spread facing down.

8. Add a bit more butter or mayonnaise to the outer side of the top bread before transferring the sandwich to the panini press.

9. Grill the sandwich for 6 to 7 minutes until it turns golden brown.