Grilled Cuban

Our Cuban sandwich has the requisite fillings (ham, cheese, pickle) with a fraction of the calories – just 231 per sandwich. All you need is 8 minutes and a hearty appetite!

Photo: Edward Pond

By Emily Christopher

Serves: 1
Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 8 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 tsp organic unsalted butter
• 2 white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 slices country wheat or whole-wheat bread
• 2 thin slices low-fat Swiss cheese (1/2 oz), divided
• 1 1/2 oz extra-lean, uncured, roasted ham, sliced
• 2 slices bread-and-butter pickles, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small sauté pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Between bread slices, layer 1 slice cheese, ham, pickles (if desired), mushrooms and remaining slice cheese. Place sandwich in a hot panini press and grill until bread toasts and cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.

Nutrients per sandwich: Calories: 231, Total Fat: 6 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Carbs: 24 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 20 g, Sodium: 617 mg, Cholesterol: 36 mg

Nutritional Bonus: Small but mighty, this sandwich provides 81% of your daily requirement for manganese, a trace mineral that aids in both calcium absorption and carbohydrate metabolism. Our Cuban is also light on sodium and saturated fat, making it a satisfyingly smart mealtime decision.

PANINI PRESS ALTERNATIVE:
Don’t feel the need to run out and buy a Panini press just to assemble our grilled cheeses! You can get a similar effect by toasting them in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Simply add a bit of pressure with the help of a separate pan, cans or just some good old-fashioned elbow grease and a hefty spatula. Then flip to toast the other side
.