Delicious Snack

Ciabatta Ricotta Burrata Nutella Dulce Grilled Sandwich. 

That was too long for the post title.  I tend to focus my posts on baking and dessert, and this delicious snack (ok, it was really my dinner) fits neither of those categories, but it weaseled its way in after my sister heard the tantalizing sizzle of butter in the pan, caught me licking a golden drop of dulce off my finger, and asked what I was making.  I got halfway through the description of my meal ("Ciabatta ricotta burrata nutella...") before my voice trailed of sheepishly and I realized I had crossed the line of food-weirdness.  Her mouth dropped in disbelief and her eyes devoured the crusty, oozing, buttered sandwich as I carried it to my seat.  "Can I have a bite?"  She asked hopefully.  At that moment I knew my mad-hatter recipe had to go on the blog so the world could indulge in my hedonistic treat. 

This glorified grilled cheese sandwich will only work with top-quality ingredients, which I suggest you obtain from a good Italian deli.  I am lucky enough to live a hop-skip-and a jump away from Bay Cities Deli - the Willy Wonka of Italian delis.  My favorite snack ever is a torn chunk of hot Bay Cities bread, slathered with dulce de leche and topped with gooey burrata or fluffy ricotta.  I was inspired by a recent streak of grilled cheese dinners to transform my regular impromptu snack into a respectable sandwich (although I admit that a sandwich filled with chocolate and caramel sounds more frivolous than respectable...), melted and griddled to perfection.  If you live anywhere in West L.A. and have not yet sampled the fresh cheeses and breads from Bay Cities, or their marvelous sandwiches, you're deprived and I feel sorry for you. 

Ingredients 

1 loaf of freshly baked ciabatta bread
1 jar Nutella
1 jar dulce de leche
1 tub fresh ricotta cheese
1 tub of burrata
2 tsp. butter
(obviously you won't need the whole loaf/jar/tub of each of these ingredients... or maybe you will!)

Saw off a large hunk of ciabatta, and split down the middle to form a future sandwich.  Spread your desired amount of ricotta on one half of the bread, and top with burrata.  Remember, the burrata and ricotta are going to melt out the sides of the sandwich, so go easy!  On the other half of the bread, spread a thick layer of Nutella, and top with a thick layer of dulce de leche.  Press the Nutella-dulce half down on top of the cheesy half.  Heat the butter in the frying pan until it sizzles and bubbles, then press the sandwich into the golden butter-foam.  Grill on medium-low until the cheese melts and the sandwich is heated through.  I cheated and used the toaster oven after a few minutes to get mine really toasty, but for the more patient folk, covering the frying pan will help trap the heat and get your delicious snack ready lickety-split.