Garlic-Rubbed Grilled Cheese With Prosciutto And Tomatoes

Not to sound like a broken record, but another good and tasty meal.  The tomatoes didn't get the sandwich watery, the cheeses were wonderful and the garlic rubbed on the outside perfect.  We did buy a Tuscan Garlic loaf from the Publix bakery, and unbeknown to us, it was chuck full of whole garlic cloves, but not too much garlic in the end.  The loaf was a bit on the small size, diameter wise, so we made 6 instead of 4 sandwiches.  We used last night's aioli as a salad dressing and it was super yummy. With the exception of grating the cheese, which didn't take long, the sandwich required almost zero labor and was ready in a snap.  If you are pressed for time for dinner, you could always pre grate the cheeses so you save some minutes on those days that you only have a short window for dinner.

Garlic-Rubbed Grilled Cheese With Prosciutto And Tomatoes


3 oz grated aged Gruyère (1-1/4 cups)
3 oz grated fontina (about 1 cup)
2    Tbs. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 t  crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
8    1/2-inch-thick slices rustic Italian bread
4    very thin slices prosciutto halved crosswise
2    medium ripe tomatoes,cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt
2    Tbs. salted butter,at room temperature
1    to 2 large cloves garlic halved and peeled for rubbing
Lightly toss the cheeses and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Put
4 slices of the bread on a work surface and evenly distribute half of
the cheese mixture on top. Put 2 pieces of prosciutto (1 full slice) on
each sandwich and top with 2 to 3 slices of tomatoenough to cover the
cheese and prosciutto in a single layer. Season the tomatoes with salt
and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Lightly butter one side of
the remaining bread slices and place them butter side up on the
sandwiches.
Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange the
sandwiches butter side down on the griddle and cook until the bread is
toasted and  golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, spread an even
layer of butter on the top slice of bread.
Using a spatula, flip the sandwiches and cook until golden-brown on the
other side, gently pressing the sandwiches with the back of the spatula
to compress, about 2 minutes. Remove the sandwiches from the griddle
and lightly rub both sides of each with the cut side of the garlic.
Using a serrated knife, slice the sandwiches in half and serve
immediately.