Up  A Creek Without A Kitchen!

Well this week Chef Mom here has a completely torn apart kitchen along with no stove or dishwasher. Oy!

In this day and age, it seems there is a gadget to solve almost any problem.  For that I am thankful!  This means I can still cook at home and not have to subject my family to lots of drive thru dinners over the next week.

Through this kitchen remodel I have decided to focus on what I feel is an under-appreciated appliance in the cooking world.  The griddle!
It’s very rare that I’ve seen a griddle used for anything other than breakfast.  Let’s be real, you probably haven’t either. So this week I will be making 5 recipes on a griddle that I have set up on a folding table in the kitchen. (Did I mention that I don’t have counter tops right now either?) The first of these 5 is a lesson on basic panini making.  No, you absolutely do not need a $200 panini press to make a panini! In fact, I’m going to tell you how the Italians do it!

Serves 4    Cook Time 6 Min    Prep Time  10 Min

First let’s start off with the ingredients…

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• Bread Loaf Cut in to 8 Slices – I recommend Ciabatta or Focaccia
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 2tsp Garlic Salt
• 2tsp Onion Powder
• 16 Slices of Cheese (Provolone is Recommended)
• 2 Chicken Breasts Already Cooked and Shredded

[/ingredients]

First, find a standard size brick. Wash it, dry it, and wrap it twice in foil.  If you don’t have a brick, you can use a glass plate and place something heavy on top.

Next, get the griddle warmed up to 300 degrees F.

In a cup mix about 1/4 of a cup of Olive Oil with a 1 tsp Garlic Salt and 1 tsp Onion Powder. Stir well.

Cut up the bread. With a basting brush, brush the oil over the inside part of the bread.

Place the first piece of bread on the griddle oil side down.  Do one layer of cheese, add your meat (I like chicken), veggies ( I like tomato), and another layer of cheese if you wish ( I LOVE cheese.)

Take the second piece of bread, oil it, and place it on top, oil side up.  Place the brick on top and press down on it firmly.

Once it is a good golden brown (about 3 min), flip it over and place the brick back on top. Cook for another 3 minutes or so.

Then eat it!