Flipping through the channels last night....it unexpectedly happened...a Christmas commercial. The holidays are officially here. Every year they seem to get earlier and earlier, I should fully expect it, but I always feel a little surprised when I see a full on holiday commercial with snow and jingling, and joy, I always panic a little. Could it really be THAT time again? What about that promise I made to myself in September to start early, and be super prepared this year? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas...almost as much as I love summer. I always have big plans...holiday parties, dozens of different cookies, homemade gifts...but Christmas comes way too fast, and half of my to do list is shot, only to be traded for things I actually need to get done. No matter how prepared I try to be, the season is chaotic, for everyone. With all of the extra planning, shopping, decorating, and general Christmas fanfare, we still need to cook dinner, which is a chore in and of itself. What's a girl to do? A few years ago I was given a gift from my lovely sister in law...a panini press. I must confess (sorry Sarah) I didn't really put it to use right away. It sat in the back cupboard, and eventually made it out to the cabinets in the garage...until planning a lunch with my sister one day...a group of women were coming, and everyone was bringing a salad. We felt we needed some kind of lunch main dish....my sister said "too bad we don't have a panini press"...and I was like "ummm, duh!" I went out to the garage, dusted that thing off, and have never looked back. My sister in law must know me better than I know myself. It is probably my favorite (one of about 5 favorites) of my kitchen appliances. I love this thing. Now grilled cheese and french dips have gone from being quick dinners, to gourmet, and lunch parties are a no brainer. A great panini with a salad, some fruit and a dessert are all you need. I love to go to the deli at Central Market and see what's on sale. Salami, prosciutto, turkey, ham, provolone, swiss, tomatoes, arugala, pesto, you name it, it can go in a panini. Baguettes, Como bread, focaccia, flat bread... I even saw a fig and sweet potato panini recipe that looked fabulous...and with Thanksgiving on the way, I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this panini recipe made with Thanksgiving leftovers...I'm so trying that this year. You can make breakfast paninis, with eggs and cheese, and hollandiase sauce, you an make rueben's, club's, tuna melts, sky is really the limit. I have the Breville panini press from Williams and Sonoma, and it's an awesome machine. It was on Oprah's favorite things last year, and I can see why! They are a little spendy, but I have seen them on ebay anywhere from $19 to $200, and Williams and Sonoma have them on sale right now for $119. That is an all time low! Anything that cuts a little time off our schedule around Christmas is all good! Here are a few panini recipes I love:
Caprese Panini
Smoked Turkey Panini with Arugula and Mozzarella
Chicken Panini with Pesto and Mozzarella
Thanksgiving Turkey Panini
Happy Holidays!
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