During my first pregnancy people would talk about their cravings and I sort of thought they were just making excuses to eat unhealthy food. In my second pregnancy I had to eat my words in a glaringly obvious fashion. I mean – I had to have Chick-Fil-AÂ fried chicken sandwiches. I just HAD to have them. I also ate more that a few “quesadillas”, by which I mean white cooper sharp cheese in a flour tortilla, cooked in butter on a griddle. Luckily those days are past but my cheese addiction is still going strong – thankfully my tastes have rounded out a bit and this recipe is the proof!
This collabo popped into my head and I knew I had to make it for my actual tastes to confirm what my mental tastes said would be delicious. The tastes were in sync! A definite play on salty and sweet and truly, if you put brie in anything I will happily nosh away.
Bottled balsamic glaze is something you need to purchase if you haven’t already. I love Trader Joe’s version but to be honest I haven’t tried others (and TJ’s costs under 3$). Can’t wait to grill some summer veggies and smother them in balsamic glaze. It’s like cheese sauce for grownups. Lastly – brie rind? You can eat it if you want. Its close resemblance to paper in both taste and appearance throws me off and I always choose to remove. You do you!
Pear, Brie, and Balsamic Panini
Serves 4
8 slices whole wheat bread
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
8 oz. brie, rind removed, thinly sliced
2 ripe pears, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic glaze
Salt and Pepper
1. Heat panini press or grill pan over medium high heat.
2. Spread butter or olive oil on one side of each slice of bread.
3. Lay bread butter-side-down. Divide brie evenly between all 8 slices. Top brie with honey and balsamic glaze. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper generously over all 8 slices.
4. Shingle pears atop balsamic.
5. Sandwich together the bread and place on grill pan/press. Cook until deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Slice in half and serve.
