Tasty Cubano Sandwich

We recently returned from a wonderful visit with my husband's family in Portland, Oregon where we enjoyed  some very special family time together. Our kids were lucky to spend a fun late-night evening with their cousins at my mother and father-in-law's house where Grandpa Otto whipped up a few of his specialty Cubano Sandwiches as a snack for them. Our local Portland cousins knew this tasty snack well, but my Palo Alto kids had not yet experienced these delicious bites until this visit....and they adored them! 

My kids loved these sandwiches so much that when we came home, they requested them for lunch three days in a row. We have a small grill pan that we used on the stove and pressed the top down with a cast iron skillet like my father-in-law did. But if you have a Panini press, this would be a really  easy sandwich recipe to add to your list.

Tasty Cubano Sandwiches

4 soft sandwich rolls

1/3 pound thinly sliced ham from the bone (easy to find at your grocery store deli)

4 slices swiss or havarti cheese

thinly slice dill pickles

drizzle of yellow mustard

~makes 4 sandwiches

Cut the rolls in half and drizzle with mustard. Add cheese, ham and pickles. If you happen to have a sliced piece of roast pork, you can add it to the mix and make it a real Cubano, but my kids love it simple without the added pork.

Spray a grill pan with canola spray and put sandwiches on grill pan. Press down on top to "flatten them." Flip to other side when bread is browned and cheese is melted and cook for a few more minutes until other side is browned. Enjoy!