Italian Grilled Cheese

 Italian Grilled Cheese

It’s been a lazy Saturday morning around here, even though I have tons to do. I can’t seem to get it together. The boys ate cereal for breakfast, Jurnee slept through breakfast, and I had coffee. By lunchtime we were starving. I came up with this with what I had on hand, but it’s too good to forget and too good not to share.  Plus, it's simple, and that means it's a winner to me!

Ingredients (per sandwich)

For the sandwich 

2 slices of bread (I used honey wheat)

1 T butter, melted

Garlic salt with parsley, to taste

1 slice Swiss cheese

1 slice Muenster cheese

2 slices Mozzarella cheese 

2 pieces sliced sandwich salami 

3 pieces sliced sandwich pepperoni 

For the marina

About 1/4 c spaghetti sauce (preferably Kroger brand Tomato Basil pasta sauce)

Garlic salt with parsley, to taste

Italian seasoning, to taste

Grated parmesan cheese, to taste

For garnish

1-2 pepperoncini peppers, optional 

Instructions

1. Heat a griddle to medium heat.

2. Brush each slice of bread with melted butter; sprinkle the bread with garlic salt with parsley to taste.

3. Lay the bread, butter side down on a plate.  Add 1 slice of swiss cheese and 1 slice of muenster cheese.

4. Next, layer 2 pieces of sandwich salami, and 3 slices of sandwich pepperoni.

5. Add the mozzarella next.

6.  Top with the other piece of buttered bread, garlic side up.

7. Heat both sides on the griddle until toasty and the cheese has melted (Tip: if the bread toasts before the cheese melts, you can pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to melt the cheese).

8. While the sandwich is grilling, make the marinara sauce.  Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan (Tip: if you can't find this specific pasta sauce, I recommend adding a little sweetener.  I usually use Stevia). Heat the sauce on medium/medium low until bubbling and warmed thoroughly.  

9. Serve the sandwich with a side of marinara and pepperoncini peppers if preferred.

One more tip: eat each bite with a dip of marinara followed by a bite of the pepperoncini pepper for the perfect flavor combination.  This is definitely a winner in my book and will be added to my repertoire of recipes for this busy season.  Hope you enjoy!  If you try it, let me know in the comments.