Remember grilled cheese sandwiches from the high school cafeteria? Remember how they were all brown and crisp on one side, and white and uncooked on the other, with a single (double if you were lucky) slice of overly-orange American cheese inside? These are not them!
Here's a link to my inspiration.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Provolone-and-Broccoli-Rabe-Panini-232159
The first time I made these I didn't have broccoli-rabe, but I did have arugula, so that's what I used. Don't be turned off by the anchovy fillets - their flavor compliments arugula in a wonderful way.
Cook some garlic and anchovy fillets (or anchovy paste) in oil until the anchovies are mashed, and the garlic is beginning to brown. Meanwhile, put clean dry arugula into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 min. I recently used 5 oz of arugula (a regular container from the store) for 3 sandwiches. The microwave should wilt the arugula without completely cooking it. Stir the oil into the arugula and set aside.
Make grilled cheese sandwiches using whatever bread you want and provolone cheese. Add a pile of the arugula to the sandwich as you're making it. Enjoy!
Another great addition to these sandwiches is a sausage. Italian pork sausage is good. We've also been getting some basil chicken sausages lately that are pretty good as well. I just cook them, then slice them in half lengthwise, and then split them open down the middle so they lie flat in the sandwich.
I made these a couple nights ago, and also added some eggplant slices that I had cooked on my griddle. I couldn't really taste the eggplant, but to be honest, that's a bonus to me.
The addition of the flavored arugula takes the concept of a grilled cheese sandwich to a new height. Since I've started making these, we've had grilled cheese at least once every two weeks or so, whereas before I think we'd had them, umm, maybe once in all the years Aleks and I have been together. Try them! And let me know what you think.
-Maggie
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