Grilled Sweet Onion Panini with a Garlic White Bean Spread

My poor oven has been dealing with some serious neglect this summer. It has been so HOT. Our ancient air conditioner has really been struggling to keep with the soaring temperatures this summer which means we have been doing a lot of grilling!

My kids have been absolutely loving all of my grilled panini creations this summer. I figured, if they like them, I will keep making them. Why stop a good thing? (You can find more of my panini creations at the bottom of this post.)  For this latest creation I used white beans as our protein which I flavored with some lemon, olive oil, garlic, and parsley. For a vegetable I added some healthy dark leafy greens  and a splash of color with the tomato. The grilled sweet onions and smokey Gouda added the perfect touch to this sandwich. Serve it up on some whole grain wheat Italian bread and you have the perfect all-in-one meal.

Grilled Sweet Onion Panini with a Garlic White Bean Spread
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
8 slices whole wheat Italian bread
8 slices Gouda cheese
2 large Vidalia (or any sweet onion) leaving them grouped in rings
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons room temperature butter
1 tomato, sliced thin
1 cup arugula or spinach (or any other dark leaf lettuce) washed
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat your grill and set it up for indirect heating.

2. Brush both sides of the onion slices generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Grill on the hot side of the grill until softened and nicely charred. Remove from the grill and set aside.

4. In a food processor, add the garlic and parsley and pulse until chopped.  Add in the beans, lemon juice, and olive oil. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Coat the outsides of each slice of bread with butter. Spread the inside of each slice of bread with about 1/2-1 tablespoon of the bean spread.

6. Top each slice of bread with 1 piece of cheese.

7. Fill the sandwich with a some lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and grilled onions.

8. Grill the sandwiches on the indirect side of the grill. Smash them down with the back of a heavy grilling spatula, a cast iron skillet, or a brick covered in foil.  Grill about 2-3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and the cheese is melted.

Other panini sandwiches you may enjoy:
Grilled Pesto Panini
Spinach Artichoke and Hummus Grilled Panini
Provolone White Bean Grilled Panini with Basil & Tomato