The Bread Alone Tuna Panini

I have this thing for toasted sandwiches… panini (panino if it’s just one sandwich). There’s just something about it, the crunch of the bread, the grooves from the panino press, the way the filling gets oozy and starts to meld with the bread. I just love it.

I’d been wanting to replace my old panino machine for a while. It seems to be working okay outside of some issues with temperature regulation, but it’s a pain to clean. The grates aren’t removable and I have to get into each groove every time I use it. It’s on the small side, too. The replacement is the monster Breville Smart Grill – probably more grill than I will ever need, but I like it.

We took the new machine for a test drive with a simple but delicious tuna melt. I used regular crusty sourdough bread since that’s what we had, and shredded instead of sliced Gruyere. No butter is required on the outside of the bread, but I would use it if I made the sandwich stove-top.

The recipe for the sandwich is posted at Cookbook of the Day, although really, no recipe is necessary. Just use your favorite tuna salad and cheese and press it between a couple of slices of good bread. Perfect.

• The Bread Alone Tuna Panini (Panini Express, p. 98)