I did a buffet-style party so my guests could build their own tasty sandwiches. Then we set up a couple panini grills (or George Foreman-style grills) to toast them up. Here are the ingredients I used, but you can change and add according to your personal tastes.
Ingredients:
Thick sliced bread- sourdough, rye and a few ciabatta rolls
Meat- sliced turkey and roast beef, plus some chopped chicken breast pieces and bacon
Cheese- sliced cheddar, pepper jack and provolone
Veggies- salad greens, chopped tomato, quartered artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers
Spreads- mayo, mustard, Dijon mustard, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, roasted garlic, chipotle aioli and avocado spread (recipes for the last three can be found below)
Directions:
1. Set up a buffet table where guests can build their own sandwiches. Plastic knives and spoons are a big help for the veggies and spreads.
2. Brush the top and bottom of each sandwich with a little melted butter or olive oil (to make it crunchy). Place one or two sandwiches in the grill and cook until cheese has melted.
3. Carefully remove sandwiches, cut them in half and serve with chips, pickles, pasta salad or potato salad. Yum!
***Roasted Garlic: Cut the tops off 4 heads of garlic so that the cloves are a little exposed. Remove the outer layers of skin until you have only a thin skin covering the cloves. Wrap each head in tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool until you can handle them with your hands, then squeeze the innards out of each clove. Stir together with a little olive oil and voila- instant spread.
***Chipotle Aioli: Add 1/2 cup of mayo with one chipotle pepper (the ones that come canned with adobo sauce) in a food processor. Pulse and blend on low until fully mixed. Add another pepper or some adobo sauce if you want more spicy flavor. Use a spatula to spoon mixture out into a bowl.
***Avocado Spread: Scoop out 3-4 avocados like you are going to make guacamole. Add a dash of fresh lime juice, then mash with a fork until it's spreadable.
