Last week I wrote glowingly of my suggestion that our family make racks of lamb the centerpiece of our Easter dinner. As it turned out, I was outvoted, and our clan decided on baked ham instead. My son chose a Niman Ranch spiral-cut one that was delicious with grilled asparagus and baby Yukon Golds roasted with garlic and rosemary. I confess, though, that what I liked best about this Easter ham was using the leftovers for inventive sandwiches like the ham and cheese panini with apple slaw featured here.

For these panini, I used a nice crusty bread and topped slices with thinly cut ham, some shaved Munster, and a simple apple slaw. (I don’t own a panini maker, but a stove top grill pan filled in easily, and if you don’t have either, a heavy skillet will work too.) It was the apple slaw that gave these sandwiches their panache. Finely julienned Granny Smith apple was paired with shredded cabbage and then tossed in a cider vinegar dressing. A hint of cayenne and some chopped basil added extra flavor. Continue reading →