Thank you guys so much for all of your kind words about my upcoming cookbook. And for all of you who signed up to be recipe testers, I will be in touch shortly – get those grills ready!

Today I wanted to share one of my new favorite treats for breakfast or lunch – Avocado-Bacon Toasts. These are right up there with tomato sandwiches as evidence of just how sublimely delicious the simplest sandwiches can be. Who would ever guess that smashing a creamy, ripe avocado on grilled bread with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of salt could be so…well, actually when you start to visualize it in your mind it’s easy to imagine why avocado lovers fall for this treat.

For me, a few slices of crisp, smoky bacon take these toasts up one impressive flavor notch, but if you prefer to leave the bacon off you’ll still have something simply incredible.

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When I was six years old my best friend’s family went away to Switzerland for several months. When she returned, the sandwiches her mom made for us on playdates at her house were upgraded to include an exciting new chocolate frosting-like ingredient. I could hardly believe we were allowed to have it. It came from a squat little jar with the letters “n-u-t-e-l-l-a” across the front.

To this day, I still feel…sly might be the word…whenever I dip into the little Nutella jar. It’s seriously okay to just eat spreadable chocolate like that?  It just seems so wrong…yet so right! I even go so far as to store it in the back of my pantry to avoid the temptation. I guess that’s why I’ve never shared a Nutella panini recipe until now (well, technically I have, but I haven’t made a true sandwich on sliced bread with it). Maybe I wasn’t ready to confess that a sandwich filled with chocolate spread was something in which I might, from time to time, delight.

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I love the Panini Happy family. It’s not just me in my home office typing on a computer. There are a whole bunch of you out there who are grilling along with me, suggesting new combinations and bringing up interesting ideas and opportunities. Today’s Bacon Breakfast Burritos recipe was inspired by one reader’s comment…and it’s featured as a guest post for another reader.

My guest post for these burritos is over on Meal Planning Magic, a blog written by a longtime Panini Happy reader, Brenda. She launched a Breakfast Challenge for the month of March in an effort to “stop boring breakfasts” and encourage folks to exchange fun breakfast options. When Brenda invited me to create a breakfast recipe for the panini grill I recalled a recent comment from Andrew Davis in which he mentioned that he wanted to try making my Ham, Eggs & Cheddar Breakfast Crepes recipe with tortillas. I realized that I’ve never grilled a burrito on this blog. I’ve done a wrap and a quesadilla before, so it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. Plus I always appreciate it when taquerias give the burritos a little toast on the flat top before serving. In my breakfast version I cook bacon in a skillet, sauté potatoes, onions and peppers and scramble eggs in some of the leftover bacon grease, roll it up with cheddar cheese inside a flour tortilla and grill the whole thing for those crispy, golden grill marks. With a little salsa and sour cream on the side, this is definitely a breakfast my family looks forward to.

Check out my guest post on Meal Planning Magic – many thanks, Brenda and Andrew!

One of the perks of Valentine’s Day falling on a weekend this year is the opportunity to make a special breakfast for the three valentines in my life – my dear husband, delightful two-year old daughter and cuddly new 7-week old son. Well, that last one doesn’t really get to enjoy any, but it’s the thought that counts.

I’ve often wondered what crepes might be like on the panini grill (when you write a panini blog, these are the things that occupy your thoughts). Would they maintain their soft texture? Would the pancakes stay intact? I’m pleased to report the answers to those questions are “yes” and “yes”. This post on the Stone Spoon blog ultimately convinced me to give it a try. So this year I will be treating my valentines to Ham, Egg & Cheddar Breakfast Crepes: sliced ham, a one-egg omelet and cheddar cheese rolled in a savory crepe and grilled on the panini press. With a little sundried tomato purée heart on the side.

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If you enjoy a good bagel right out of the toaster, you’re going to love a freshly grilled bagel panini sandwich! This new twist on the traditional bagel and lox is a bright and flavorful way to dress up your breakfast or lunch plate. With the tops and bottoms removed, the bagels crisp up nicely on the outside yet remain nice and soft on the inside. Smoked salmon and whipped cream cheese are complemented by fresh tomatoes, red onion and a light and zesty dill-watercress salad. Want to read how this recipe was created? Check out “A Little Breakfast Panini Party”.
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Egg & Bacon French Toast Panini

1 serving

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large slice sourdough bread, halved crosswise
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 slices fully-cooked bacon
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat panini grill to 375°F. In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon milk and maple syrup. Soak bread slices in egg mixture and transfer to panini grill. Grill for about 5 minutes until egg mixture is cooked and grill marks appear.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 remaining eggs, the remaining teaspoon of milk and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a medium-sized nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. When eggs appear cooked around the edges, fold over in half with a spatula and cook for another minute. Fold once again crosswise and remove from pan once eggs are cooked to desired doneness.
3. Prepare bacon according to package instructions.
4. Assemble sandwich by layering the bacon and omelet between the two french toast pieces. Enjoy!