Italian Pork & Vegetable Grilled Cheese with *NEW* Sabra Sandwich Spreads

Sabra #Sponsored "Take your sandwich from good to great with Sabra Spreads"  Recipe Contest

"I received free samples of Sabra Spreads mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Sabra and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time."


A few weeks ago I was in the Sabra section of my market, looking for hummus, when I spotted these spreads on the shelf.

 

OMG, was it??? Really??? Oh, yes. This was genius on their part. You see, I have been using Sabra hummus, not just as a dip but as a base for sauces, dressings and spreads. Life in the kitchen just got easier.
Is is possible to be that excited about a new product?

It is when that product is tasty, fresh, have great flavors and in a convenient squeeze bottle.
Best of all, they have 75% less fat than mayo.
For the longest time I have been trying to create a sandwich that is from our sister state, Pennsylvania, and is so well loved it has given the Philly Cheesesteak a run for their money.

I am talking about the pork, rapini, cheese and french fry sandwich that hails from Pittsburgh.
Containing all my favorite Italian ingredients, I adapted my version based on ingredients I could find in my neck of the woods and, ease of preparation.

Now I get to share my inspiration with you.

Let's break it all down.

The reason why this sandwich is a favorite in our house is because it contains all the necessary flavors that will make your mouth happy.
Salty, sweet, bitter and sour.
I made a spread using two of the new Sabra Sandwich Spreads (Garlic Herb & Honey Mustard) for the inside and the third (Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper) acts as the "grill crunch" on the outside.
The only addition was a tablespoon of both olive oil and an additional one of honey.

Buy a good loaf of Tuscan or Sourdough bread and cut off two identical slices, at least 1" in width.
(For more ideas see my Cook's Tips at the end of this post.)

Mix equal parts of the Sabra Honey Mustard & Sabra Garlic & Herb spreads. I made 1/2 cup for each sandwich. Depending on how bitter the rapini is to your tongue, you may want to add an additional teaspoon of honey per sandwich.

I used hot capicola today, but have made this with spicy Italian-style pork, chicken or turkey sausage. Using your local Deli can be a great time saver.

On top of the meat, I added a generous amount of shredded Fontina cheese (option #2: provolone) and cooked broccoli di rabe (aka; rapini).
While rapini is a bitter green, it plays well off the fatty meat and to tame it a bit for the kids, my Mom flavored the simmering water with a tablespoon of both salt and sugar per gallon. Cook for 5 minutes, then immediately drain in cold water and then strain.
Once dry, chop into 1"pieces.
To save even more time, deli cooked rapini can be easily found in most Italian deli's and local supermarkets.

Find a good quality sweet potato chip (or make your own) and press them into the rapini so they crack in all the right places and settle down in the crevices. This component adds not only a sweetness, it also adds texture with the crunch.
The original uses French fries but I am a sweet potato addict and the chips are a much healthier option.
Got to love a sweet with crunch.

Another generous layer of cheese.....to which I add the top slice of bread that has been slathered with the same mixture of Sabra Sandwich Spread as the bottom.
Make sure you spread edge to edge on that piece of bread.

Now for the final but best part....
Mix 1/4 cup of the Sabra Black Pepper & Sea Salt with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread on the outer sides of each slice of bread, just as you would do with butter.

Heat a griddle pan, a panini pan or a cast iron skillet until is it hot. Place the sandwich on the pan and cover with another pan, weighted down with a few cans of tomatoes.

Really, all you need to do is what you would do with a basic grilled cheese that is 4x fatter.
Grill until the edges are browned. Flip and repeat.

Can be kept warm in the oven while you make the 2nd, 3rd or 4th sandwich.

Italian Pork & Vegetable Sandwich
makes 4 sandwiches

1 loaf Tuscan or Sourdough Bread, sliced into 1" slices
1 pound hot capicolla
8 ounces grated Fontina cheese
1 bunch Broccoli di Rabe, cooked
2-3 cups sweet potato chips

Spreads:
1/2 cup each Sabra Garlic/Herb & Honey/Mustard Sandwich Spreads (total 1 cup)
1 cup Sea salt & Cracked Black Pepper Sandwich Spread
1 tablespoon honey, optional
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Mix Garlic/Herb & Honey/Mustard spreads in a bowl. Taste and add honey if desired. Makes 1 cup.
2. Mix Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper with olive oil.  

Cook's tips: In some deli's, cooked rapini is available for purchase. Rapini not available, sub in cooked radicchio, collard greens or kale. Sweet potato chips not available, use sweet potato tots but I much prefer the crunch of the chips. Sweet potato not your thing, just use baked regular potato chips.
You want to be the bell of the football tailgating party?!?.... slice the bread horizontally (a ciabatta or focaccia works really well) and make one large sandwich on the BBQ grill and slice that like you would a 6 ft sub.



   

    An InLinkz Link-up