Breakfast Panini with Pecans, Cheddar and Sausage

By cecelia26_

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. butter, plus more for bread
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 4 fully cooked breakfast sausages (thawed if frozen), chopped
• 1/2 c. Georgia pecans
• 4 large eggs, well beaten
• 8 thick slices Italian bread
• 4 oz. yellow cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from foodpyramidonline.com

Preparation

Step 1

In non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, sausages, and pecans; sauté until onions are just softened, about 3 min. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are firm but not dry. Transfer sausage mixture to plate.
2. Heat a panini maker or a grill pan over medium-high heat. To make 4 panini, divide sausage mixture into 4 portions. Mound each portion on one slice of bread. Top each with one ounce of cheddar, then a slice of the remaining bread.
3. Very lightly butter the outside of each panini. Cook in batches in panini maker until both sides of each panini are golden; serve promptly. Or, if using a grill pan or skillet, cook two panini at a time, placing a heavy skillet or heat-proof dish on top to weight down panini as they cook. When golden on bottom, turn panini over and grill other side until golden; serve warm.

TIP: Panini are Italian sandwiches, generally pressed and pan-grilled, made with a variety of fillings, especially leftovers. While a panini-maker or grill pan is ideal for their preparation, this breakfast version, which pairs nutty pecans with a classic morning-food mixture of eggs, onions, cheese, and sausage, can also be cooked in a standard skillet.