Grilled caprese sandwich stuffed with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil pesto! Takes 10 minutes or less and requires just 5 simple ingredients!
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Crispy Grilled Summer Sandwich
One of my all-time favorite sandwiches is a grilled caprese sandwich. I’ve been making them for years and then one day I had one at a local restaurant that put pesto inside. My mind was blown! My all time favorite sandwich just got even better! Seriously, it is so good.
Plus this sandwich is super easy to make. It’s basically like making a fancy grilled cheese and takes 10 minutes or less. Can’t beat that! ;) The bread is perfectly crispy and the flavor combinations are amazing. I love how gooey the mozzarella gets too. Mmm…I might have to make this for lunch again today!
Tips for the Best Caprese Sandwich
- Use good quality bread. This really does make a huge difference in taste and crispiness. Look for bread that’s thick and fresh, such as a sourdough bread from your local bakery. It makes the sandwich taste like it came straight from the deli!
- Butter the bread. Another key to a super flavorful and crispy sandwich is buttering the bread before frying. Spread the butter evenly on top each slice of bread, then place that side down onto the pan to fry. It adds amazing flavor and makes the outsides super crispy and delicious!
- Homemade pesto. This isn’t a necessity, although making homemade basil pesto really takes this sandwich over the top. If you have lots of basil in your garden, this is the perfect way to use it up. You can even make a vegan pesto without the cheese!
- Cheese. Another reason this sandwich is so delicious is all of that melted mozzarella cheese. They key here is to buy a block of mozzarella and cut it into thick slices (about 1/4 inch). Once it melts, it gets super gooey and delicious.
Tasty Additions to your Sandwich
- Balsamic. To give it that true caprese taste, add a small drizzle of balsamic glaze over top the tomatoes. Absolute perfection!
- Meat. This sandwich would also taste delicious with sliced cooked chicken added in.
- Arugula. It’s sturdy in structure with a subtle peppery taste, making it the perfect way to pack more greens into your sandwich.
- Garlic powder. After buttering the bread, add a sprinkle of garlic powder on top for even more flavor. It’s basically like making a sandwich with your favorite garlic bread!
- Avocado. Adding a few slices of fresh avocado is always a good idea!
More Caprese Inspired Recipes
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Grilled Caprese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 1-2 Tablespoons butter
- 1-2 Tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 tomato , sliced
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese , about 1/4 inch thick
Instructions
- Warm a skillet or frying pan over medium-heat. Butter both sides of your bread and then grill one side.
- Once it has lightly browned, flip bread over to brown other side. Turn the heat to low. Then spread the pesto on the grilled side and the cheese on top.
- Allow cheese to melt a little, then place tomatoes on top of the cheese followed by the top piece of bread. Turn the heat off if browning too fast and allow sandwich to sit in the skillet until melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Irresistible absolutamente!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reminding me that sourdough bread has magical properties LOL. And the pesto definitely puts this over-the-top. Im sure thin sliced grilled chicken could be added if u were in the mood.. Please send us more cool and different sandwich ideas. I’ve been a tuna salad girl way too long!
Grilled chicken is amazing on this grilled caprese sandwich! Yum!
My hubby actually saw this on Facebook and requested that I make it. I went to the grocery store and bought all the ingredients, planning on making it for our Saturday lunch. It was a Wednesday night and I was planning on making tacos for dinner. All day I kept thinking about this sandwich until I couldn’t take it anymore, and told hubby no tacos, we are trying this sandwich tonight! Words cannot describe how delicious this sandwich is – absolutely, hands down the best sandwich I have ever had in my life!! Thank you so, so much for sharing this – I will be keeping the ingredients on hand now for whenever I need a fix!
Your comment made my day Sandy! I am so happy you loved this grilled caprese sandwich. :)
Just made the grilled caprese sandwich and it was the best tasting sandwich I think I have ever ate in my life!… Thanks so much for sharing the these recipe.
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I’m so glad you liked this sandwich! Thanks for your comment Anita! :)
What’s the best mozzarella to use for this? Looks so yummy!
Hi Joann! Any mozzarella will do but I like to get mine from the deli or Costco! :)
I got a kick out of this because of the bread. You either live in the Columbus, Ohio or Toledo , Ohio area ! I always have a loaf of The Anderson’s bread in my house. Can hardly wait to try this sandwich.
I am in the Toledo area! :) Hope you enjoy this sandwich.
love the recipes
Normally I pin things to my Pinterest board and then just drool over the pictures. Something about this sandwich was calling my name. I went straight to the store after work, with a toddler in tow, and grabbed everything I needed for this. I made one for myself for dinner and fell in love. In fact, I fell in love with it again on Saturday and Sunday! Thanks for the easy tutorial for what is now a top 10 blog find! :)
Yum, so simple but so good!
I love anything caprese and anything easy. These look great!