Grilled Cheese Italiano

Butter each slice of bread on one side with approximately one tablespoon of butter. Grind some black pepper onto the butter to add a nice peppery taste to the bread.

Put one slice of bread on your work surface, butter side down. Layer on 2 slices of the provolone, the Genoa salami, prosciutto, the third slice of provolone, and finally, the roasted red pepper slices. You can use as little or as as much as you’d like. I sliced one large one into strips for each sandwich.

Heat the remaining butter in a pan on medium-high heat.

Place your layered bread onto the hot pan. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side out, and press down firmly with a spatula or flipper. Keep a close eye on the temperature of the pan, and lift the sandwich occasionally to check on the browning. Once the sandwich is golden brown on the bottom (approximately 4-5 minutes), carefully flip it. Again, keep a close eye on the sandwich and check the browning every minute or so. The other side typically takes less time to brown. Every pan/stove element is different and you don’t want to burn a perfect grilled cheese—especially with this delicate and fluffy fresh Italian bread!

Remove from heat when golden brown on each side. Let the sandwich sit for a moment to cool. Once cooled, carefully slice into it.

Be mindful of the cured meats, as they can be tough to cut/bite into. Be firm when biting and cutting in order to avoid the sometimes inevitable “slide-out”.