Caprese Panini

Submitted by Hannah

If you have an abundance of tomatoes and basil this summer season here is a recipe idea for you. I love the traditional caprese salad but add some crusty bread and melt the cheese and it may have gotten even better. It has been pretty hot here in MN and last thing I want to do is turn on the oven for dinner. So, I was looking through my kitchen and I found a panini maker my husband had won that we have only used a couple of times. Now I'm really wondering why we aren't making them all of the time, they are delicious!

Ingredients:

Slices of your favorite bread (sourdough, country bread, french and so on)

Thin slices of Mozzarella cheese (I used fresh but you can use block cheese also)

Tomato slices

Basil leaves, chopped basil or pesto

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Marinara Sauce

Directions:

Oil your panini maker lightly or skillet if you do not have a panini maker and heat to about medium. On one piece of bread put a layer of cheese and on top of that put your basil and tomatoes. I like to salt and pepper my tomatoes. On top of that put another thin layer of cheese to act as the glue to keep your sandwich together and then top with the second piece of bread. If you are using pesto spread a think layer or as much as you like on the bread before adding the cheese and tomatoes. You can butter the bread or put olive oil on the outside too, to make sure it gets a nice crunch. Once the sandwiches are ready cook until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is ooey gooey. Serve with warm marinara sauce and you are all set for an easy and delicious dinner.