Grilled Chipotle Three-Cheese Sandwich

This elevates the humble cheese sandwich to gourmet heights. Our family loves it! It's from a restaurant called Kona Bistro. How spicy it is depends on how much of the sauce you spread on the bread. If you have a panini press, it really works well with this recipe, but you can also just do it in a pan on the stove or directly on the grill.

7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
12 slices Colby Jack cheese
12 slices Swiss cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
12 slices sourdough bread (thickly sliced if possible)
12 Tbsp butter, softened

Place chipotle peppers and their sauce in food processor or blender and puree until smooth. With machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Place puree in small bowl and set aside (can be stored for several weeks in airtight container in refrigerator).

Preheat a large heavy skillet, grill pan, griddle, or panini pan to medium heat.
Spread each slice of bread with 1/2 - 1 T. chipotle puree (depending on how spicy you like it). Layer half the bread slices with 2 slices of each cheese and a few slices of the tomatoes and onions. Top with the remaining slices of bread, chipotle side down. Spread the top and bottom of each sandwich with butter.

Grill each sandwich for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is golden brown. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

6 servings