Patio Snacks: mini grilled cheese sandwiches with crudités

So, we are still in Kelowna for a couple more weeks before going back to reality at home, which isn’t so bad either. We eat pretty informally, making the best of what I find in the local markets. I am having fun preparing all kinds of patio snacks and the latest was these mini grilled cheese sandwiches that I am serving with leftover raw vegetables from the open house the other night. I had quite a bit of sliced baguettes left that I kept in a plastic bag. I used some of the bread in the gorgeous panzanella (tomato-bread salad) that I love to make when tomatoes are vine ripened and beautiful (recipe here). Today I thought I’d make the rest into little grilled cheese sandwiches to pile in a bowl and serve alongside the crudités. I used Swiss cheese and a spoonful of Savoury Red Pepper Jelly from Jules & Kent (or use sweet red chill spread from Urban Fare instead). I also make these little grilled sandwiches to serve with soup.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced

1/2 cup tomato jam, store bought from a good source

Cheese (Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss or another melting cheese)

Olive oil

Directions:

Spoon a little tomato jam on each slice of bread. Cut the cheese thinly and lay on half of the bread slices. Top with the remaining slices.

Pour olive oil into a flat plate. Dip each sandwich into the oil to coat both sides.

Heat a panini maker to medium high. Arrange the sandwiches on the panini maker (I get about 9 onto mine). Close the top part and press down to flatten the sandwiches lightly and help create the grill marks. Don’t let the cheese gets completely runny, only nicely melted.

When golden and grill marked remove to a serving plater. Serve at once.

Print Recipe