Apple Onion Relish Panini with Gorgonzola

I was given a challenge… A Sandwich a Day wanted us to showcase our favorite sandwiches.

I’ve told you before how I could live on sandwiches alone possibly and how one of my most addictive sandwiches is my Avocado Tomato Sandwich. Sometimes I fail to come up with new ideas for sandwiches because I am so enthralled with this one still. I even dream about eating it sometimes.

But recently I have come to learn to love another sandwich… maybe not as fresh-tasting as the one above, but certainly very seasonal. Mixing apples, onions, thyme, almonds and blue cheese in between 2 pieces of bread might not seem very appealing, but oh, oh boy, how delicious it is. This has nothing to do with my Latin roots, but everything that I have learned to appreciate from my travels in the Northeastern part of the US.

Inspired by these crostini from Giada Di Laurentiis, this panino hits the spot on a cold winter night. I might even argue it works great for a nice cozy date in front of the fire. I think your date would be greatly impressed.

APPLE ONION RELISH PANINI WITH GORGONZOLA

2 slices of 100% whole grain bread

Cream Cheese

Gorgonzola Cheese crumbles

Toasted Sliced Almonds

¼ cup of Apple Onion Relish

Butter – for the outside of the bread/sandwich

Pre-heat your Panini maker, or in my case, my George Foreman Grill.
Spread cream cheese on the inside of both bread slices. This will be part of the glue that makes the sandwich stay together.
On one slice, add the apple onion relish. Try to keep it as dry as possible so the moisture won’t seep out of the sandwich. Layer the toasted almonds and finish with the blue cheese crumbles.
Close the sandwich with the other slice of bread, cream cheese on top of the almonds/blue cheese.
Butter the outside of the slices with some softened butter.
Place on the Panini maker and press lightly without forcing it too much. The sandwich will flatten as it toasts in the Panini maker.
After a few minutes, the cheeses will be melted and the bread toasted on the outside. Carefully, remove the sandwich from the panini grill and allow it to cool slightly. This will allow you to cut into the sandwich without the breads sliding all over the place.