Brie and Chocolate Panini

Besides queso dip and sushi (and wine!), I think Brie was the biggest thing I missed having while pregnant. Since all soft and unpasteurized cheeses are a no-go for the entire nine months, I had to do without my favorite cheese. It was hard, but well worth it.

As soon as Chris and I saw Giada making this sandwich on the Food Network, he was at the store buying the ingredients. The combination of chocolate and basil sounded odd, but pairs extraordinarily well with the Brie and crusty bread. This was a great afternoon pick-me-up full of amazing flavors. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 slices crusty bread
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oz. Brie cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 (12-oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Preheat the panini grill.

Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread slices until they begin to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the panini grill and place 2 ounces of cheese on 1 slice of bread (the bottom half), top the cheese with 1/3 cup chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of basil. Top with another slice of bread. Continue with the remaining sandwiches. Return the sandwiches to the panini grill until the chocolate begins to melt, about another 2 minutes.

Cut the sandwiches into 2-inch wide rectangles or small triangles and transfer to a serving platter.

Source: Adapted from Food Network