These are quick and easy, but, when served on a good-quality rustic, artisanal bread, are totally 'fancy' enough for company. Makes a great lunch for the family. Even my littles eat these!
8 slices bacon
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, plus 2 tablespoons tomato packing oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices good-quality crusty bread
8 slices deli Swiss cheese
8 ounces deli smoked turkey
2 cups baby arugula
Cook bacon. Set aside on paper-towel-lined plate to cool and drain.
Combine sun-dried tomatoes and mayonnaise in bowl.
Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over 1 side of each slice of bread. Assemble 4 sandwiches by layering ingredients as follows between prepared bread (with mayonnaise mixture inside sandwich): half of Swiss, turkey, crisp bacon, arugula, and remaining Swiss. Press gently on sandwiches to set.
Brush outside of sandwiches lightly with sun-dried tomato packing oil (or with melted butter).
Cook on panini grill or press, if you have one. If not . . .
Heat 12-inch nonstick grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight down with Dutch oven. Cook sandwiches until bread is golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes, flipping sandwiches halfway through cooking.
VARIATION:
I also make an even quicker-and-easier version of this. For each sandwich I make, I spread yellow mustard on one side of each of 2 pieces of bread and melted butter on the opposite sides. Between the two sides with mustard, I layer Havarti cheese and turkey deli meat to make sandwiches. I then cook the sandwiches on a panini press until the bread is golden-toasted and the cheese is melted.
