Four delicious cheesy recipes for you to make for lunch, or anytime!

Panini Caprese

Grilled Cheese Quesadillas

Italian Grilled Cheese

Two-Cheese Panini

January 20th has officially given you an excuse to eat cheese. Since my husband is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a genuine Cheese Head, you can imagine that we eat cheese a lot. We adore all sorts of cheese, so this food holiday is definitely us.

There are so many ways to eat cheese- out of hand, as part of an appetizer or dip, on a salad, in a soup, melted over sandwiches, burgers and pizza (not to mention Lasagne!) as part of an entree, or even as dessert.

Mmmm…..forbidden cheesecake!

This small collection of recipes I am presenting for your cheesy enjoyment today revolves around sandwiches: the Italian panini, and also on a quesadilla (the Mexican version of a grilled cheese!) as well as a comforting grilled cheese proper, done with deliciously stretchy mozzarella cheese.

One of the recipes is mine and the other three are ones I made, reviewed and photographed as a member of other cooking websites. They all get a five-star rating from me, and I am so happy to have come across these recipes as well as the people who posted them.

Foodies make the best friends!

They are all also very simple to make.

The first recipe up for your perusal is the

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich by CouponGoddess.

You can view her original recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
•  12 thick slices French bread or Italian bread
• 8 ounces low-fat, part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Method:

1. Mix garlic and oregano into butter until thoroughly mixed.
2. Spread seasoned butter onto one side of bread slices.
3. Divide cheese among six of the bread slices and top with remaining bread, buttered sides out.
4. Cook on both sides on a heated griddle, in a toaster oven, or in a moderately heated oven until the bread is golden and crisp.
5. Serve hot.

The next recipe is for:

Two-Cheese Panini with Tomato-Olive Pesto by MarraMamba.

You can view her original recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup drained sun-dried tomato packed in oil, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• fresh ground pepper
• 6 slices white bread
• extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
• 3 slices provolone cheese

• 5-6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Method:

1. Pulse sun-dried tomatoes, pitted olives, oregano and pepper in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
2. Spread pesto on one side of bread pieces.
3. Top bread with cheese, then the other slice, pesto sides in.
4. Lightly brush outsides of bread with oil, and cook on both sides on a heated panini pan, or in an electric panini press, until golden on both sides.
5. Serve hot.

The next sandwich up is:

Grilled Cheese Quesadillas by JackieOhNo!

You can see her original recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4-1/2 oz.)
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese (about 4 oz.)
• 6 flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
• 4 scallions, cut diagonally into thin slices
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1/2 cup salsa (optional)
• non-stick foil

Method:

1. Take three pieces of nonstick foil slightly larger than the tortillas and place one tortilla on each.
2. Divide the cheese among the three and sprinkle with chopped scallion.
3. Top with another tortilla and fold corners of foil over the edges but do not enclose the tortilla completely.
4. Place on a med-hot grill on cook until cheese melts, or you can brown them in a toaster oven or under the broiler.
5. Cut quesadillas into wedges with a pizza cutter or knife.
6. Serve with salsa and sour cream as a dipping sauce, (I blended mine together just a bit).
7. Serve hot.

The last recipe for today is one of my own:

Caprese Panini

I had been thinking about the Italian grilled cheese recipe above but wanted something a bit more meaty and substantial. The great thing about sandwiches, panini, and quesadillas is how you can easily customize them to your own tastes. The sky is the limit.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices Italian Tuscan-style artisan bread
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 3 ounces sopressata salami, thinly sliced or may use pepperoni
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2-3 tablespoons basil pesto
• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves or arugula
• butter (optional)

Method:

1. Spread pesto on one slice and the tomato paste on the other.
2. Place mozzarella, sopressata and spinach in between the bread slices with the spinach in the middle of the cheese and meat.
3. Butter outside of the sandwich if desired and grill using a panini press or griddle until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve hot.

You might also like:

Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches

Hot Grilled Pastrami with Caramelized Onion Jam

Raspberry Chipotle Turkey Melt

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