Mini Grilled Cuban Sandwiches

Aren't these adorable? I really wanted to make cuban sandwiches but I didn't want to invest in large bread loaves because the bread I get is never right for pressed sandwiches, I didn't want to cook pork tenderloin and I didn't want to break out the panini press. Basically, I was being lazy. So I decided to make these mini versions instead using mini multigrain loaves. I get them in the frozen section of my local Market Basket. They come in bags of 8 and I bake them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes and let them cool before I use them in the sandwich. The mini loaves are already cooked (not raw frozen dough) so really all you have to do is reheat them. I assemble all the goodies and place them on a grill pan and put a smaller omelet skillet on top. It's a trick I learned with Rachael Ray when I used to watch her 30 Minute Meals cooking show. I serve these with corn on the cob and even though they are small, I only need two before I feel full! Yay for portion control! I hope you'll try these mini Cuban sandwich delights.

Ingredients:

8 frozen multigrain bread loaves, baked, cooled and sliced lengthwise
8 slices of Swiss Cheese
16 slices of ham (all-natural, no sodium nitrate or nitrite)
sandwich pickles
whole grain mustard

This makes 8 mini Cuban sandwiches

Heat up your grill pan to medium. If you don't like to heat it up dry, spray on a bit of cooking spray before you turn on the heat.

Assemble your sandwich. Add the two slices of ham (folded to fit), the smear on some mustard, cut a sandwich pickle in half and add the two pieces and then top that off with a folded piece of Swiss cheese. Top off with the other piece of bread. Add the sandwiches to your grill pan (in batches of 4) and place the omelet pan on top to press the sandwich down. Cook for about two minutes then flip over. You want to cook the top side (which is closest to the cheese) more for optimum meltiness. Cook for about 3-4 minutes then set aside. Repeat with the other 4 sandwiches. Eat while hot and enjoy with some corn on the cob. If you are reheating these for lunch, add to a toaster oven set at 375 degrees for a few minutes. Do not microwave!