We are in New Jersey right now visiting my family. My sister-in-law Cora introduced us to a new way to eat chocolate for lunch yesterday. I’m always up for making chocolate into a meal, so I was 100% on board!

Cora had recently taken her little girl and my niece Sophie to a cafe called Marigolds. They ordered the Nutella panini off the menu and discovered something quite delicious – a panini made with Nutella and fresh sliced strawberries!

Of course we had to try making it on our own and that’s what we had for lunch yesterday! And before you start thinking it’s all weird that this is an actual sandwich that you can have for lunch (my mom couldn’t quite wrap her brain around it), this is basically a PB&J if you really think about it. Nutella is a hazelnut spread, so that’s just like peanut butter, right? And fresh strawberries are way healthier than sugar-laden jam. So, you know. totally the same and way healthier! (Okay, not totally, but whatever.)

The cafe even served the Nutella panini with homemade potato chips. This is LUNCH, people. I swear!

Whether you agree that this makes a healthy and nutritious lunch or not, I do think you’ll agree it’s delicious. Seriously, DELICIOUS. You’re welcome.

Grilled Nutella and Strawberry Sandwiches

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

As created by my sister-in-law Cora Wallin, inspired by Marigold's in Summit, NJ

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Good crusty bread
• Fresh sliced strawberries
• Nutella
• Butter

Instructions

1. Spread Nutella on 2 slices of bread.
2. Layer sliced strawberries on one side then put the sandwich together.
3. Butter the outside of both slices of the sandwich and grill in a pan over medium heat until golden brown (like a grilled cheese sandwich) or cook in a panini maker.

3.3.3070

Happy Friday!

When I started this blog nearly 8 years ago, I was constantly sharing my favorite Trader Joe’s finds, much to the chagrin of those readers who didn’t have a Trader Joe’s near their home. I backed off a lot over the years, but I recently found an item that I am loving and have to tell you about. If you don’t have a TJs, my apologies. The Half-Baked Panini Rustic Rolls are AWESOME. We’ve used the rolls for pesto chicken salad sandwiches and for a variation on our caprese paninis. The bread is perfect for sandwiches, with a nice crisp exterior and chewy interior. The big bonus is that, magically, the sandwich fixings don’t squeeze out as you eat the sandwich. We LOVE this bread!

On to food links!

• On Babble: Easy and Delicious Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
• On Cosmo: 7 Ways to Turn Whipped Cream Into the Best Dessert Ever

That’s all from me today…what do you have to share?