Sweet & Spicy Ham & Gruyere Panini

This recipe has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and recipes are mine alone. #SandwichWithTheBest #CollectiveBias

I have a question for you… what was your favorite sandwich as a kid? Did you pack it for school? My fav was always ham and cheese. Back then it was just plain bread with a slice of cheese (probably American) and some ham. I was happy to have it in my lunch every day… I guess that was before I discovered variety.

I still love a good ham and cheese sandwich, but I appreciate it with a little more dimension and I dare say sophistication these days. And let me tell you, this Sweet & Spicy Ham & Gruyere Panini has a whole lotta dimension (and sophistication 😉 )! As much as I’d like to take credit for this delicious sandwich, what makes it so delicious is the sum of its parts.

So here’s what makes it so good… I start with Pepperidge Farm®  Harvest Blends™Sprouted Grain bread which is brand new from Pepperidge Farm with a blend of whole grains and seeds. Its hearty texture makes it perfect for a panini and the flavor runs deep! (It makes great toast too, you’ll have leftover bread from the panini and it will stay fresh in the double-wrapped package).

On to the sweet stuff! What makes the panini a bit sweet is the honey in the Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham. It is slow roasted for hours upon hours which makes it so full of flavor. It’s thinly sliced (extra thin, actually!) so it is perfect to pile on that panini!

And the spicy. Ohhh yeah the spicy! The chipotle mayonnaise adds a perfect kick to the heartiness of the bread and the sweetness of the ham. The key to this kicked up mayo is to use Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise. It’s made from REAL ingredients and with cage-free eggs (super important to me).

So are you ready to dig in with me? 😉

Sweet &  Spicy Ham Gruyere Panini

Makes 1 panini

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise
2 slices Pepperidge Farm®  Harvest Blends™ Sprouted Grain bread
6 slices Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham
2 slices Gruyere cheese
2 teaspoon Chipotle Mayo (see recipe below)

Directions

1. Heat panini press or skillet to medium-high heat.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on one side of each piece of bread, this will give the panini that perfect crispy outside.
3. Layer 3 slices ham and 1 slice of cheese on inside of bread (the side not spread with mayonnaise). Repeat.
4. Top with 2 teaspoons chipotle mayo and remaining piece bread.
5. Grill in panini or skillet until outside is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Chipotle Mayo

Makes a little more than ¾ cup Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients

¾ cup Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise
2 chipotle chiles from 1 can of chipotles in adobo
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Blend mayonnaise, chiles and lime juice in a blender or food processor; refrigerate. You’ll have plenty of leftovers for future sandwiches. 🙂

Not your lunch box ham and cheese, right? That version has graduated and is all grown up!

Are you a ham and cheese fan lover like me? Don’t get me wrong, I still like my childhood ham and cheese too! 😉

Get all of your ingredients to make this delight for yourself at Walmart!