Grilled Caprese Sandwich Recipe

Since tomatoes are such an easy-growing vegetable, if you grow your own you may wind up with an overabundance. Fortunately, recipe developer Erin Johnson says this grilled Caprese sandwich is "a fantastic way to use surplus tomatoes from your garden." Even if you get your tomatoes from the store, she still notes that this summertime sandwich "is fast and easy," giving you good reason to make it. In addition to the classic Caprese salad combination of tomatoes and mozzarella, this sandwich also introduces the salad's basil element via some pesto-flavored mayonnaise (you'll be making it yourself by simply stirring together store-bought versions of both condiments), then adds some balsamic glaze for what Johnson calls "a sweet and acidic element that really complements the sandwich."

While the entire sandwich isn't cooked on the grill, the pesto mayonnaise-coated bread slices are grilled for a few minutes to crisp up and take on some char. If you don't want to fire up an outdoor barbecue to toast the bread, though, Johnson does say that a grill pan can be used. And if you make a batch of the pesto mayonnaise in advance, it's even easier to assemble this sandwich any time you like.

This simple recipe only requires 6 ingredients: mayonnaise, pesto, French bread, mozzarella, a tomato, and balsamic glaze — plus fresh basil for optional flair. "I like to use seasoned French bread," Johnson tells us, adding that "any crusty loaf works beautifully." This means you can use Italian bread or sourdough if you prefer.

Stir the mayonnaise into the pesto (or vice-versa), and voila, you've now made your pesto mayo in under 30 seconds. Next, turn your attention to the bread and cut it into 5 slices, then cut each slice in half to create 5 small sandwiches.

Heat up your grill or grill pan. As it warms up, spread a little of that pesto mayonnaise onto the interior side of each slice of bread. Grill the bread for 3-5 minutes, turning it onto all sides so it gets toasty grill marks all over, then set it aside and turn off the grill.

Divide the tomato and mozzarella slices among 5 pieces of the bread, adding them on top of the pesto mayo. Drizzle these fillings with balsamic glaze, then add extra pesto mayonnaise to the other 5 slices of bread. If you have fresh basil on hand, stick on a few leaves before closing the sandwiches. Your grilled, Caprese-inspired lunch is now ready to eat.