Italian-Style Grilled Cheese and Spinach Sandwiches
Serves 4
Rach’s latest take on a grilled cheese sandwich is rich in flavor and nutrition.
Note: Buy organic spinach frozen, because if you were to buy it fresh, you’d have to buy bundles to get the same amount!
Ingredients
- 1 box chopped, frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a clean dish towel
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- 1 cup fresh sheep or cow’s milk ricotta
- 1/3-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- Good-quality salted butter, melted
- 8 slices hand-cut, good-quality bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 8 deli-slices provolone cheese
- 8 deli-slices mozzarella cheese, such as Wisconsin
Directions
- Separate the spinach to loosen the leaves after drying. Heat the EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes; add the spinach and combine. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat.
- Stir together the ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, salt, pepper and thyme.
- Liberally brush one side of each slice of bread with melted butter.
- Build the sandwiches: A slice of bread with the buttered side down, two slices provolone, some spinach, the ricotta-parm mixture, two slices mozzarella and another slice of bread with the buttered side up.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. Grill the sandwiches until the cheese is melted and they’re deeply golden.