Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

This Caprese grilled cheese sandwich recipe is fresh and flavorful; the tomatoes and basil are nestled between the soft and crispy bread and gooey melted mozzarella. I use a secret ingredient that’s not butter to get the crispiest crust on this sandwich!

Try my irresistible Summer Tomato Sandwich next.

I think you will like this grilled cheese recipe! I took the classic Caprese salad ingredients and put them into a melty sandwich. Yum. Grilled cheese with tomato and basil is a good idea. 🙂

How to make a grilled cheese sandwich with mayo

Did that grab your attention? I can’t say I make grilled cheese sandwiches very often, but when I heard that mayo can be used instead of butter to create that perfectly golden crisp crust on the bread, I had to try it. Lots of recipes seem to do it (where have I been all this time?), and I wanted to try it. I used Hellmann’s mayo and it worked great.

I’d rather spread mayo on bread than wait for butter to soften, and the results were delicious. There’s no butter in this grilled cheese sandwich recipe, but it’s not needed.

How to make a Caprese grilled cheese sandwich

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Get your two slices of bread ready and spread mayo on one side of each slice. Place one of the bread slices, mayo side down, into the skillet. Place the cheese on the bread, followed by the tomatoes and basil. Season generously with salt & pepper.

Once the bread is browned to your liking (took me about 10 minutes), place the second slice of bread on top of the sandwich mayo-side up. Flip the sandwich and cover the pan for a minute or two to melt the cheese. Remove the lid. The second side of the sandwich cooks a lot quicker, so check it after another minute or two. Cut in half and devour immediately.

And voila… this gourmet grilled cheese recipe ain’t complicated.

Love Caprese flavors? Try these recipes:

• Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Healthy Caprese Skillet Lasagna
• Easy Chicken Caprese
• The Best Caprese Crostini
• Balsamic Caprese Pasta Salad

Tips to make the best grilled cheese

1. Use thick slices of good quality bread. I used a fresh sourdough loaf for this recipe.
2. Use thick(ish) slices of good quality cheese. I prefer buying a ball of mozzarella fresca for this recipe vs. the shredded stuff.
3. I mentioned it above, but using mayo makes the outside of the sandwich wonderfully crisp.
4. Cover the sandwich for a minute or two while cooking it so the cheese gets nice and melty.
5. Make sure to add salt & pepper (generously) to the inside of the sandwich before putting the top slice of bread on.

Will you try this Caprese grilled cheese sandwich recipe?

What’s your favorite type of grilled cheese?

5 from 3 votes

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

By Natasha Bull

This Caprese grilled cheese sandwich recipe is fresh and flavorful; the tomatoes and basil are nestled between the soft and crispy bread and gooey melted mozzarella. 

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 sandwich

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 slices thick-cut bread (I used fresh sourdough)
• ▢ Mayo for spreading on bread
• ▢ 2-3 slices of fresh mozzarella (I bought a ball of it and cut slices about 1/4" thick)
• ▢ 1 medium tomato sliced (use as much as you want)
• ▢ Small handful of fresh basil torn/chopped
• ▢ Salt & pepper, to taste

Optional add-ins:

• ▢ A light sprinkle of garlic powder 
• ▢ Red onion 
• ▢ A drizzle of balsamic vinegar

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Instructions 

• Heat a skillet over medium heat.
• Get your two slices of bread ready, and spread the mayo generously on one side of each slice. Place one of the bread slices (mayo side down) into the pan.
• Add the cheese to the slice of bread that's in the skillet, followed by the tomatoes and basil. Season it generously with salt & pepper. Add the optional add-ins at this time.
• Carefully lift the corner of the bread after a few minutes to see how cooked it is. Once it's nice and golden (took me about 10 minutes), place the second slice of bread on top of the sandwich (mayo side up). 
• Flip the sandwich over (I used 2 spatulas) and cover the pan for 1-2 minutes to let the cheese melt. Take the lid off and check to see how browned the bread is. The second side cooks a lot faster, so be careful not to burn it. 
• Once the second side is browned, take it out of the pan and cut it in half. Enjoy immediately. 

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