Grilled Ham, Cheese and Mango Waffle Panini

Breakfast Sandwiches

We usually eat sandwiches for lunch and sometimes as a fast, easy dinner, but they’re also a good choice for breakfast. Few dishes are a handier, more wholesome way to start the day. And in the summertime, when you want to get out of the kitchen quickly and get on with your life, what could be easier to cook, and cook faster, than a sandwich?

Consider the other virtues of a breakfast sandwich. You can make them nutrition-filled but still appealing to the naysayers who might prefer sugared cereal or a doughnut and to the refuseniks who balk about anything with a “healthy” label. Would they say “no” to a Waffle Panini filled with ham, cheese and mango? Probably not, but you’ll be happy to know that this breakfast offers protein, fruit and grain all-in-one; healthier still if you use a whole-grain waffle.

Sandwiches are also convenient. In fact they were invented for convenience. According to legend, John Montague, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was too busy gambling to sit down to a decent meal, so he had his chef stuff his food between two slices of bread. You can bring a sandwich outside and eat it at leisure on the porch. Or take it with you on the run if your family’s lives are filled with summer on-the-go activities.

You don’t need fancy ingredients. The familiar morning foods will do: eggs, cheese, ham-bacon-sausage, smoked or cooked salmon or other meats and fish, fresh fruit and bread. All the stuff you could put on a plate.

There’s good variety among the cheeses – Blue, Brie, aged Gouda, or meltable ones such as Swiss, Havarti, Cheddar, Mozzarella and Muenster to use for hot versions. Delicious-tasting whole grain and multi-grain breads are also available in the market today and of course, pita pockets and English muffins as well as the old standbys (rye, pumpernickel, Italian bread and so on). Good bread is more than just a container to hold the other ingredients. It gives character to a sandwich and provides a variety of textures, so choose a different one for all the different sandwiches you prepare.

Children who like the standard PBJ may get a kick out of a PBJ Panini, sweetened with just a touch of honey, thick with lush slices of fresh banana. If the kids insist, trade the honey for strawberry or grape jelly. You don’t need any special equipment to make a panini, which in this country simply refers to a sandwich that’s been pressed and grilled to give it some surface crunch. All the dish requires are two pans, one to cook the sandwich in, the other to use as a weight to flatten the sandwich.

Paninis are typically made with crusty ciabatta, but most any sliced bread product will do including a waffle, which becomes ultra crispy when pressed in a pan. Grilled Ham, Cheese and Mango Waffle Panini is one example that begs for innovation. Make it on multigrain bread instead. Delete the ham and add a fried egg. Substitute peaches or fresh apricots for the mango. Spice it up with chopped fresh chili pepper. Add a thin slice of onion.

Fruit and cheese is a classic, elegant post-dinner nibble, but it can be a sandwich too, more nutritious than the standard grilled cheese. Any meltable cheese will work as will several kinds of fresh fruit including summer peaches or autumn pears, crisp apples or soft fresh seasonal figs. Slap the ingredients together between two slices of bread, give them a quick fry and you’re done.

Classic BLTs make a good breakfast sandwich too. If you don’t want the bacon, switch to sliced avocado. Or a fried egg. Or both. Add a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil to give the sandwich a refreshing, summery flavor.

Classic tuna melt also makes a hearty morning meal, especially a weekend breakfast (or brunch) for family or sleepover company. Tuna’s fine, but you can substitute last night’s leftover grilled salmon. And add last night’s leftover zucchini or asparagus. A slice of tomato would add color and juiciness. Put it all on a slice of bread or a split English muffin, top it with cheese and pop it into the toaster oven.

Breakfast sandwiches can be nutritious and thrifty too. Quick and easy to fix. And tasty. A much better choice than a doughnut. A good way to start the day.