Caprese Paninis

My husband got me a panini press for Christmas, and I decided to christen it with my very favorite panini: a caprese panini.

I don't know if there's anything better than a caprese salad. Buttery fresh mozzarella, crisp, sweet tomatoes, cloying, licorice-y basil, topped with balsamic vinegar and olive oil? It just doesn't get any better than that. Well, I guess the one thing better would be if you put all of that between two slices of bread, which is what I did last night.

I wish I'd had thicker bread, but I had to use plain ol' white bread because it was all I had on hand. Nevertheless, these sandwiches were heavenly, and they paired perfectly with the soup I made. And pardon the crappy picture; I still can't figure out the best way to photograph a sandwich. Oy.

Caprese Paninis

Source: Cassie

Olive oil

4 slices thick-cut bread

6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese

2 slices tomato

4 leaves basil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

1. Brush both sides of a panini press with olive oil. Top bread with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

2. Cook until bread is crisp and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.