Breakfast of Champions

We received a lot of fantastic, thoughtful wedding gifts.  As you might imagine after reading this blog, some of my favorites are the kitchen related items.  And while I probably would never be able to choose one favorite item above all others, I do have to say that the panini press has gotten a lot of love from me.  I often say that I think I was Italian in a past life due to my love of all things pasta, wine, and parmesan related.  And I have to say that when it comes to sandwiches, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a more delicious way to combine ingredients than by simultaneously toasting, melting, and compressing them all together into one tightly sealed little package.

Although I haven't yet met a panini I didn't like, one of my all time favorites is a breakfast panini with bacon, egg, and cheddar.  When I was living in Salt Lake, there was this local bakery that sold the perfect ciabatta rolls for paninis at my neighborhood market.  Since moving to San Diego, I was at a loss as to where to find these types of rolls.

That is, until the other day when I discovered Con Pane Rustic Breads and Cafe (for some reason they don't seem to have their own webpage, so I linked to another blog that reviewed them).  This shop is in Liberty Station in Point Loma, which used to be a Naval Training Center but has now been repurposed by the city as a multi-use shopping and residential area.

But I digress.  Con Pane is fabulous.  Fantastic sandwiches, coffees, and other baked goods, including freshly baked bread (and more specifically for my panini making quests, ciabatta rolls).  So long as you have access to a panini press and a delicious bread supply, these sandwiches are quick and easy to make, not to mention delicious.

Mmmm, delicious ciabatta.  Thanks Con Pane!

First, cut open the ciabatta roll:

Top with scrambled eggs:

Bacon (I used veggie bacon but you could of course use regular bacon too):

And sliced sharp cheddar cheese:

Replace top of roll:

And place in heated panini press:

Press down on handle of panini press to apply pressure to sandwich as demonstrated below (isn't Paul an awesome sous chef?):

Once the panini is finished it will be golden brown and have these beautiful grill marks on it:

Cut the panini in half on the diagonal like so:

It will make enough to share (or not depending on your mood).

Mmmm, melty, eggy, cheesy goodness.  Enjoy!