By Chris, February 16, 2020

I love grilled sandwiches. I love the crisp bread, the textures of the various fillings. The fact that it is a portable, hand held food, makes it so versatile and convenient to bring almost anywhere! I am a big fan of pairing ingredients that most people probably would not think of putting together. It’s always interesting to taste the unique combinations. For those of you who had seen my latest “Something New for you ” IGTV video, You know I reviewed a “Spiced Pear preserve with a clove sea salt, made by local hand crafters of food called “BUY THE FARM” . I love the flavor of the ripe pears, cooked down to bring out its caramelized sweetness. Enhanced by the warm, aromatic spice of cloves, and the touch of sea salt that awakens the flavors by adding a touch of saltiness to all that sweet and spice. A perfect blend in my book! I decided to pair that with creamy fresh Brie cheese. This rich, creamy, and fresh cheese is the perfect canvas that lends itself well to that sweetly, spiced aromatic preserve. Fresh spinach adds that vibrant , earthy flavor that is fresh, cool, and ties the whole sandwich together. Simple ingredients, combined together to give you a sweet, decadent, sandwich that is both clean and healthy. It will leave you satisfied without weighing you down.

Ready to build it? c’mon….

This is my old fashioned panini press. You like? lol I never believed in buying a panini press. Mainly for the fact that I don’t have room to store all types of small appliances. I prefer to go old school and use a brick wrapped in aluminum foil. It does the job perfectly ! yes. The picture is blurry. No. It’s not your eyes! lol
This here is my trusty grill pan. i love this pan! I’ve had it forever and I can’t imagine grilling without It.
The star in my latest episode of my video series called “Something New for You”. Spiced Pear Preserves with clove sea salt. It is a remarkably unique preserve I had the privelage of getting to know after being introduced to it at the Indoor Monroe Farmers Market in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
I love Brie , however, I’m not always a fan of the rind. These wee Brie give the perfect amount of creamy Brie cheese without rind. They are perfect for snacking, and two of these little guys are the perfect amount for creating this sandwich.
Last but not least, fresh spinach. I am a huge lover of leafy greens. Spinach works great in this sandwich, lending a fresh earthy flavor to balance the sweet, spicy creamy texture of the preserves and cheese. Arugula or mixed greens would work well in this sandwich as well.
I spread the preserves on both sides of the bread. Feel free to use any bread you like. I use Schar mutligrain gluten free bread. I love the nutty texture this bread adds to this sandwich. I unwrap the Brie cheeses and flatten them out a bit before adding to the sandwic build.
The sandwich all built . preserves spread on both sides, flattened Brie cheese and spinach leaves. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and it’s All set to go get pressed!
Place the grill pan on medium /low heat . Spray the pan with a small amount of cooking spray. Add the sandwich and carefully place brick ontop of the sandwich. Press away brick….. press away.
When it’s time to flip, remove the brick. Flip the sandwich. See how toasty and marked it is ? Meltiness has ensued ! replace the brick and cook for a few minutes on the other side. It all but takes about 10 minutes to grill up this sandwich. Perfect for any time.
Time to plate! Cut down the center and look how melty and beautiful it looks!

Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Grill pan
  • 2 slices of bread . your choice.
  • 2 Tablespoons of Spiced Pear Peserves with Clove sea salt
  • 2 wedges of Brie cheese. I use President’s
  • 3 large fresh spinach leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Spray a small amount of cooking spray on a grill pan. Heat pan over medium/low heat on stove. While pan is heating up assemble sandwich. Spread both sIdes of bread with the pear preserves. Take the two wedges of Brie cheese and flatter just a bit and place on the preserves. Add the fresH spinach leaves and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place the other slice of bread on top. Preserve side down. Your grill pan should be nice and hot. Place the sandwich on the hot oiled grill pan and carefully place the foil wrapped brick ontop. Cook for about 3 minutes or so. Carefully remove the brick. Flip the sandwich. Make sure the bottom of the sandwich is nice and toasty. Replace the brick and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes, or until melty.

Enjoy!

Thanks,

Chris