Melted Caprese sandwich

A big Caprese sandwich with melted mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil pesto and fresh basil is the perfect, easy lunch for serving a crowd.

This Caprese sandwich is the easy lunch of my dreams. Not only is it perfect for feeding my family but it literally takes 5 minutes for me to prep before the whole thing goes into the oven. The cheese melts, the tomato gets a little roasty and finished with a quick basil pesto, fresh fior di latte (or buffalo mozzarella), it’s the kind of sandwich you will be craving for days to come!

Ingredients for Caprese sandwich

Full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Bread. I used a whole ciabatta but you can use any bread you prefer.
• Mozzarella. I used both low-moisture mozzarella and fresh mozzarella. Buffalo or Fior di Latte are both good options.
• Tomatoes. Use ripe, in-season tomatoes.
• Basil Pesto.

How to make a Caprese sandwich

Halve a ciabatta loaf then drizzle with olive oil. Grill the bread on a hot grill pan/skillet until toasted. Layer grated mozzarella and tomatoes on the bottom half of the bread and place under your oven’s preheated grill/broiler. Allow to cook until the cheese has melted then remove from the oven. Top with fresh mozzarella, basil pesto and basil leaves. Sandwich with the top half of the ciabatta, slice and serve.

How to make easy basil pesto

Combine fresh basil leaves, garlic, nuts (pine nuts, almonds or cashews work well) with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt in a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.

Caprese recipes

1. Caprese pasta salad
2. Grilled tomato caprese salad
3. Caprese stuffed chicken breasts

Sandwich recipes

1. Family-size creamy chicken salad sandwich
2. Easy salami sandwich
3. Steak sandwich with goat’s cheese butter