Pastrami and Mac N Cheese Sandwich

This pastrami and Mac N Cheese sandwich could only be the creation of I have mac N cheese left in the fridge and it is going to go to waste.  This fact is all true.  However, the mac N cheese needed a partner.  I went to the deli and bought some thick sliced pastrami.  I think when you add meat into a grilled cheese sandwich that the meat needs to be robust.  It cannot be the paper thin slices you typically get at the deli.  All you have to do is ask the person behind the counter to slice the meat as you wish.  Another simple flavor trick is to grill the meat first.  This grilling releases more flavor of the meat and puts a nice char on the meat.  And the topper is to add even more cheese to the sandwich.

 

Ingredients:

• Macaroni N Cheese (with smoked gouda)
• 2 slices of pastrami, sliced thick
• Handful of smoked gouda and cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 pieces of ciabatta bread

Directions:

Start by heating a skillet on medium heat with just a couple drops of vegetable oil.  Add in the pastrami and cook for no more than 2 minutes on each side.  You are just trying to get some light color on to the pastrami and get it warm.  Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.  Slice the ciabatta bread in half. Next, start assembling the sandwich open face by adding the meat on one half of the bread; top with the mac N cheese and then the cheddar and gouda.

 

Put in the oven on a baking sheet and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.  You want the cheeses to melt and the mac N cheese to warm up.  Once the cheese is melted, top the sandwich with the 2nd half of the bread and put it back in your skillet.  Using a weight (what do you call the cooking utensil used to crush the sandwich?) top the sandwich and make the bottom side get nice grill marks as well as making the sandwich more like a panini.

After about 2 minutes, flip the sandwich and repeat on the 2nd side.

 

Serve and enjoy!