Sunday Dinner: Perfect Paninis

Facebook fan, Debbie Fabre, shares her Sunday dinner traditions and a scrumptious dinner recipe.

There is just something about a family sitting down together to eat a meal.  It’s a time they can share the previous week’s news…the victories and accomplishments as well as the heartaches and disappointments.  It’s a time of unity and bonding over a hot, steamy meal that just seems to make everything right with the world.  A time to put down the cell phones, television remotes and video games. So many families fail to take the time to sit down together for dinner these days, much less a Sunday dinner.  Soccer, baseball, dance lessons, piano, karate, you get the picture.  With the use of today’s conveniences, we can share wonderful recipes and ideas with one another so easily. So why don’t we sit down to family dinners?  Thankfully we don’t have to stand in the kitchen for hours to prepare most meals, because, we have learned shortcuts and better ways to do things from one another.  No matter who you are, if you can read, you can cook!

When I think of Sunday dinners, I think of family.  For me, Sunday has always been family day.  Together, we gathered around a massive table of whatever my mom lovingly worked so diligently to prepare for us.  There would be things that were our favorites and she prepared those dishes with enthusiasm and love as if it were the first time she served them, always smiling from ear to ear as we devoured the delicious food and sang her praises as if it were the first time we had ever eaten it.  Because my family went to Church on Sundays, many times there were pre-made casseroles that mom had prepared in advance so she could simply bake them so that they would be bubbling and piping hot.  I can still see the steam rising from the dish as the food bubbled and almost seemed to say “how yummy I am, come and get me.”  And her Southern Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy was nothing less than amazing!  Now that was a meal that everyone fought their way to be first to the table so that they might be the lucky one to get one of the coveted drumsticks.  And the aroma!  Who could ever forget the rich, inviting smells that would come wafting from those dishes?  Still today when I smell certain dishes, I am immediately swept back to my days in pigtails and braces, sitting at the table between people I loved and felt safe with.  Sunday dinners…love, comfort, unity, and delicious food.

Things today have certainly changed.  Most families are smaller and moms are much too busy to spend every day in the kitchen.  However; that is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different.  Maybe some of us, who haven’t been making these precious memories with their families, will be inspired to do so.   So even if you don’t have a lot of time, you can still sit down as a family and share Sunday Dinner together.

I would love to invite you into my kitchen as I prepare my Sunday dinner.  Then, even though I don’t have pigtails and braces anymore, let’s sit down at the table as a new family and share this warm delicious meal together.  Bring back the Sunday dinner tradition in your home.  Your traditions can be as unique and individual as you are.  By the way, don’t forget the dessert!  Here on loveandhomemaderecipes.com, any Taste of Home Magazine or Cookbook, and tasteofhome.com, will give you all the help you need to be one of the best home cooks in the world.  After all, there is nothing in the world that’s better than a taste of home!

Today, I’m serving a fun meal that can be set out on the table and enjoyed all day long.  The colors and textures of a beautiful antipasto platter delight the eyes as well as the taste buds.  Let’s start with that as an appetizer while I’m cooking.  It only takes a few minutes to make these “new” grilled cheese sandwiches…..they are Perfect Panini’s and who wouldn’t want a hot, creamy tomato soup to enjoy along with that Panini?  Then that dessert I promised you, Italian Cream Cake.  It’s almost a meal mom would have served…just updated a bit.

Menu:
Perfect Panini
Tomato/Basil Soup
Antipasto
Italian Cream Cake

Perfect Panini Recipe
For each sandwich you will need the following:

• 2 thick slices Sourdough Bread
• 6 T. olive oil
• 1 small red onion
• ¼ c. Marsala wine
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 large Portabella mushroom cap
• 2 slices pancetta
• 2 slices prosciutto
• 2 slices capocollo
• 2 slices provolone cheese
• 2 slices Munster cheese
• Italian parsley

Begin by slicing your sourdough bread yourself.  I buy a whole loaf and slice at an angle to make the bread look beautiful.   Thinly slice the red onion and caramelize using 2 T. olive oil in medium size skillet on medium heat.  When the onions are finished, add wine and vinegar to them and allow most of the moisture to evaporate.  This makes a nice sauce for the onions.  Remove the onions and add 2 T. olive oil to the pan.  Sauté the whole mushroom cap until tender throughout and set aside.  Fry pancetta in the same pan until crisp.  Brush 1 T. olive oil on one side of each piece of bread.  Now we are ready to assemble our sandwich.  On one slice of the bread (oil side out) place onions and add provolone, pancetta, prosciutto, capocolla, mushroom and Munster.  Top with the remaining slice of bread, oil side out.  Place on a Panini grill for approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.  Cut into two pieces and serve hot.

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Tagged as: Dinner, Panini, sandwich, Sunday Dinner