This honey, apple, cheddar, and bacon Panini is high on my Monday “to-do” list. And with good reason. We all know that around here, I like to keep Mondays fun, different, and delicious. Trust me when I say, this apple Panini fits the bill. I’m even going to go out and say that if you make this today, you’re going to have a pretty darn good (err delicious?) Monday. Let me explain, its real simple… buttered sourdough bread…I mean, that right there is close to perfection. apple butter…I used a homemade apple butter that I’ll be sharing with you all very soon, it makes this Panini. sharp cheddar cheese…honeycrisp apple’s best friend. buttery havarti cheese…for its buttery flavor and major “melt” factor. honeycrisp apples…my very favorite apple variety. crispy bacon…its salty, savory flavors are the perfect balance in this sweet Panini. honey…to add just one more layer of deliciousness. fresh thyme…my current favorite herb and a favorite pairing with apples and cheddar.
You see? SO GOOD. I am pretty excited that the month of all things apples is finally here. To me, September is all about apples, I like to save the pumpkins for October and November. Every September I always have a million and one apple recipes I want to share with you guys, and this year is no different. I’m happy to be sharing this Panini as my very first apple recipe of the season. And while I have many more to come, this sandwich is near the top of my list of the most crave worthy, comforting, and cozy recipes. As mentioned above, this Panini (or grilled cheese, it’s really whatever you’d like to call it) is pretty simple. You’re going to butter some bread, layer it with apple butter, cheese, fresh apples, bacon, honey, and a sprinkle of fresh thyme (lemon thyme is my favorite) and then press everything together in a Panini press (this is my favorite). If you don’t have a Panini press, just make it on the stove top. No matter what, it’s going to be freaking-a-mazing. It’s sweet, salty, and extra cheesy. Slice the apples thin so that they soften up while cooking and then as soon as the sandwich comes out of the Panini press, drizzle it with a touch more of honey and a sprinkle of fresh thyme. No debating this step, you just have to do it. It might not seem all that necessary, but I promise you, it’s what makes this sandwich so extra special…okay and it’s kind of a signature HBH step. DO IT.
Speaking of doing things, let’s go over some weekend stuff. We had some serious fall like weather int the late afternoons here, and the leaves have definitely started to turn. Autumn happens so fast up here in the mountains. The leaves are almost all off the trees by the second week of October. So you see, FAST. Since it’s was kind of chilly and cloudy later in the day on Sunday (summer mornings in the mountains are often sunny, then later in the day the clouds move in ), I decided to make a big pot of chili. Along with my favorite beer bread from the HBH cookbook (did you catch the video of this recipe on Instagram?!). While the chili slowly simmered on the stove, I did some serious online shopping damage. Ahhhh. YIKES. I am not a good in store shopper, but give me a blanket and a computer and I can do some serious damage. I was shopping for both clothes and barn items for the upcoming HBH retreat here in Colorado at the end of the month. I am in need a few outfits and things for around my house. I found lots, and while I have some cute things on the way, I may have gone just a smidge overboard. What?! Like you’ve never done that before… All I have to say is that online shopping is both amazing and scary. My finger tips love it, my credit card…not so much! Also, I am still looking for few home items if you guys have suggestions of cute places to look. Let me know your favorite shops! I will be sharing everything I bought in this week’s Nine Favorite Things, so if interested, stay tuned! In the meantime, I think we all know how our Monday needs to end. Pick up some apples, cheese, and bread from the store, head home and make this Panini…
ps. tomorrow is the BIG day! The Half Baked Harvest cookbook will officially be out for the world to see. Fun post coming at you with a couple awesome giveaways!
