Caprese Grilled Cheese

Caprese salad is all about Italy. It even features the colors of the Italian flag: green, white and red. This simple salad of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil is usually arranged on a platter and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

This recipe for Caprese Grilled Cheese offers a new twist on the traditional. It has you nestling all the caprese salad goodness in-between slices of sourdough bread, grilling until golden brown then popping it in the oven until the fresh mozzarella is oozing out of the crusty bread.

The Caprese

This recipe has just five ingredients which are all easy to prepare. Cut two large tomatoes into quarter-inch-thick slices using a Trimmer. The knife is a perfect tomato knife because it easily cuts through the skin and into the flesh without crushing the fruit.

Slice some fresh mozzarella the same thickness using a Traditional Cheese Knife. Its Micro Double-D™ edge slices through the fresh cheese like “butta.”

This recipe serves four so grab eight slices of sourdough bread and, using a Spatula Spreader, spread some pesto on each slice.

Be as generous as you want with the pesto, based on your taste.

Making the Grilled Cheese

To make the grilled cheese, layer a pesto-coated slice of bread with the mozzarella and then the tomato.

Top with another slice of bread and then brush olive oil on the outsides of the sandwich. Place the sandwiches in a hot skillet, pressing down on the sandwiches with a Slotted Turner while they cook, until toasted and golden brown on one side. Flip and cook the other side until toasted and golden brown. To further melt the cheese, place them on a sheet pan and pop in a 250 F oven for five to seven minutes.

When done, you can use a Spatula Spreader to cut the finished sandwich in half to see all the ooey-gooey goodness.

This is a can’t-miss yummy sandwich. It’s simple and its short list of ingredients means you could make this on a moment’s notice. The pesto with its combination of garlic, basil and pine nuts adds additional flavor beyond just fresh basil and melts into the mozzarella for herb-packed flavor in every bite.

Serve it for lunch or with a glass of rosé while sitting on the porch enjoying the warm rays of summer. You could even cut it into strips and serve it as an appetizer.