Pork: Pork Dishes: Brie, Ham and Pear Panini

Crunchy, cheesy, sweet and satisfying! Try and see why pears are a surprisingly tasty addition to sandwiches.

Author: USA Pears/Pear Bureau Northwest
Date: October 16, 2012

Serves: 2 person(s)
Yield: 2 x 1 sandwich servings

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

4 slices sourdough, wholewheat or white bread
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 oz thinly sliced Black Forest ham
1 firm but ripe Bartlett or Anjou pear, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and each half cut lengthwise into 3 thick slices
1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 oz Brie cheese, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp unsalted light buttery spread

Directions:

Preheat a panini maker, grill pan, or griddle over medium to medium-high heat.

Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface and put half of the mustard on each slice. Divide the ham between the 2 sandwiches and arrange on top. Add 3 pear slices to each sandwich and grind a bit of pepper over the pear slices. Top the pears with slices of cheese. Place a slice of bread on top and cover the top slices of bread with half of the buttery spread (if using a panini maker, spread the outer sides of both the top and bottom pieces of bread before grilling).

Place the sandwiches in the panini maker and close the lid. Grill until nicely browned on both sides. For a grill or griddle, place the sandwiches spread side down on the hot grill or griddle. Spread the topside of the sandwiches. Grill until nicely browned on one side and then flip and grill the other side.

Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Variations:

This sandwich is also delicious using Gruyere cheese instead of Brie.

For an extra rich taste, use 2 tablespoons butter instead of 1 tablespoon vegetable spread.

Serving suggestions are not included in the nutritional analysis.