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Silverton’s sandwiches are heaven-sent

These recipes feature gourmet ingredients, cheesy goodness

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Video: The perfect grilled cheese sandwich

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    >>> "today" on nbc . you .

    >>> this morning in "today's kitchen," the perfect grilled cheese sandwich . april is national grilled cheese month. who better to teach us how to whip one up, hot chef nancy silverman. what is it about grilled cheese in.

    >> we love it because it brings back a lot of childhood memories . but for me there's nothing better than melty, oozy, warm cheese. right?

    >> i love it.

    >> i'll make two sandwiches, one turkey and one more classic. with the turkey one, i'll grill it in the sandwich grill . i'm using a rustic country style of white bread . butter both sides. with this turkey sandwich , it is also delicious with walnut bread. start with cheese and end with the cheese. always when you make your sandwich.

    >> start with cheese, end with cheese. that's what we believe in this program .

    >> that's the glue.

    >> start with cheese and end with cheese. layering a little turkey .

    >> what kind of cheese if.

    >> i'm using a cheddar cheese that has sage in it. a little softened leeks, celery. a little bit of crunch and a little bit of thanksgiving flavor. i'll decorate it with sage leafs.

    >> you've got green there so it is healthy. i've got one ready . let me take that one out. gently close it. don't smash i. people think you have to press it down, but you press the life out of the bread when you do that.

    >> i love the smell of the sage.

    >> that's for you to try.

    >> i have to.

    >> we'll move over and do a little classic more cheese.

    >> good.

    >> thanksgiving in a bite.

    >> step over here and do the next one with me. start with your butter. again, don't skimp on the butter.

    >> never.

    >> this one we're doing old school in the cast iron pan. you never want to not make something delicious if you don't have the right equipment.

    >> cast iron skillet.

    >> open it up, start with layering in a little mozzarella.

    >> we're doing three kinds of cheese.

    >> gruyere. which is my favorite. i love the way it melts. it is really stringy. then grate a little parmesan on top. for that green, healthy look, stick a little arugula in between the layers. grate a little sharp parmesan on.

    >> maybe i should use -- you know what would be even better? hold on a second. just take a slice of it! a and voila!

    >> let's see how this one is. not ready to turn yet.

    >> and yet we've got a couple of different ones here.

    >> yeah. that's one that has some italian cured meat . prosciutto, a little italian salami, and cheese.

    >> that's good. oh, that's so good. what about the classic american cheese , white bread , tomato soup , the one we grew up on?

    >> i think that one sounds better than it really tastes. i remember it with margarine. i remember it with processed american cheese .

    >> here comes natalie .

    >> smells so good! where's the tomato soup ? you were saying.

    >> that looks amazing.

    >> there's one for you. nice hot one for natalie .

    >> that's great! what a great idea. it looks so pretty.

    >> nancy silverman, thank you so much . if you're in los angeles , go by moza. if you want to try these cheesy recipes at home, check out our website at todayshow.com.

    >>> coming up, hoda and kathie lee will help you get

    Show transcript

TODAY recipes
updated 4/14/2010 10:56:00 AM ET 2010-04-14T14:56:00

Chef and baker Nancy Silverton knows sandwiches. She even wrote an authoritative book on the subject — “Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book” — and she’s a master of using gourmet ingredients and cheesy goodness to make a sandwich special. If you’d like to turn a meal compiled between two slices of bread into something simply divine, give these recipes a try.

Recipe: Grilled sage cheddar and turkey sandwich with leeks and celery (on this page) Recipe: Grilled three-cheese sliders (on this page)

Recipe: Grilled provolone sandwich with prosciutto, salami and mortadella (on this page)


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Recipe: Grilled sage cheddar and turkey sandwich with leeks and celery

Ingredients
  • 16 slices La Brea Bakery Toasted Walnut Antipasto Bread
  • 2 celery stalks, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
  • 1 leek, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch long pieces
  • 1 ounce unsalted butter, plus 1/2 ounce of softened butter for brushing the bread
  • 8 ounces Bravo Farms Sage Cheddar
  • 6 ounces sliced turkey
  • 16 sage leaves
Preparation

Peel the celery and cut off the large white end using the green part only. Slice across (width-wise) into 1/8-inch thick slices. Cut the leek in half lengthwise using only the light green and white parts. Cut into 2-inch-long pieces, then cut into matchstick size strips. Wash the leek strips thoroughly. In a small pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the celery and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pan and cook about 3 minutes until the celery is slightly tender. Add the leeks to the celery and cover. Continue to cook until both are tender without coloring.

To assemble the sandwich: Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place half of the bread slices buttered side down and evenly spread 3/4 ounce of the grated sage cheddar, then layer 3/4 ounce of turkey on top of the cheese. Evenly spread 1/4 ounce more cheddar on top of the turkey. Top with another slice of the bread with the butter side up. Place 2 sage leaves on top of the slice of bread before grilling.

Grill the sandwiches in a moderately hot skillet or Panini grill for 4-5 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. If working in a skillet, turn sandwiches over halfway through grilling. 

Serving Size

Makes 8 sandwiches

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Recipe: Grilled three-cheese sliders

Ingredients
  • 16 1/2-inch-thick slices of La Brea Bakery Toasted Walnut Antipasto Bread or French baguette
  • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced 1/16-inch-thick (substitution: Swiss cheese)
  • 8 ounces low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/16-inch-thick
  • 8 ounces grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
  • Arugula
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
Preparation

Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread (or brush with olive oil). Place half of the bread slices buttered side down and layer with a slice of Gruyere cheese, arugula and a slice of Mozzarella cheese, and 1 ounce of Parmesan cheese, folding back the edges of the cheese if they extend past the edges of the bread. Place the top slice of bread over the cheese, buttered sides up.

Grill the sandwiches in a moderately hot skillet or in a Panini grill for 4-5 minutes until the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted. If working in a skillet, turn sandwiches over halfway through grilling. Remove and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 8 sandwiches

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Recipe: Grilled provolone sandwich with prosciutto, salami and mortadella

Ingredients
  • 16 slices La Brea Bakery Roasted Garlic Antipasto Bread
  • 3 tablespoons Calabrian Bomb (pepper paste)
  • 4 ounces provolone cheese (8 slices)
  • 4 ounces mortadella, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces salami
  • 4 ounces prosciutto
  • 1/2 ounce softened butter, for brushing the bread
Preparation

To assemble the sandwich: Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place half of the bread slices buttered side down. Spread approximately 1 teaspoon of the pepper paste on the non-buttered side of the bread slices. Place 1/2 of the provolone on top of the pepper paste, then layer 1/2 ounce of the mortadella on top of the provolone, rumpling it to create height. Place 2 slices of the salami on top of the mortadella slices, then layer the prosciutto slices over the salami, rumpling the slices to create height. Place the other half of the provolone slices on top of the prosciutto. Close the sandwich and place one slice of the salami on top of the sandwich before grilling.

Grill the sandwiches in a moderately hot skillet or Panini grill for 4-5 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. If working in a skillet, turn sandwiches over halfway through grilling. 

Serving Size

Makes 8 sandwiches

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© 2012 MSNBC Interactive

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