Smashed Cheese Sandwich

By TPMay

Ingredients

• 1 crusty baguette
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• hard provolone , (for grating)
• 3 bunches broccoli rabe (rapini)
• 6-8 oz. spinach
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 ham hock
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• red pepper flakes
• salt
• See more at: http://www.cookingwithcaitlin.com/recipes/smashed-cheese-sandwich#sthash.vhyOj7Tu.dpuf

Preparation

Step 1

Prep your ingredients: roughly chop the broccoli rabe and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
2. Add the olive oil, sliced garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to a large pot; turn to medium heat. Cook until the garlic has become translucent and your kitchen is perfumed with garlic.
3. When the oil is ready, add the spinach and broccoli rabe to the pot. Toss with the oil and bring the heat up to medium-high. When everything starts to wilt, add the ham hock and chicken broth, and cover with a lid. Reduce the temperature to low and let cook for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, remove the lid, add the nutmeg, and season with salt to taste. Turn off the heat to maintain some texture to the broccoli rabe.
5. When you are ready to make the sandwiches, preheat your panini press**. Slice the baguette in half length-wise, leaving a spine of crust intact. Shingle the sliced provolone into the bread, fill with the braised greens, and press closed.
6. Now, cut the stuffed baguette into sandwich portions, and place on the hot press. Once the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted, remove from the press, top with grated provolone, and serve hot.