Yield: 12 servings
Caprese Sandwich
This easy Caprese Garlic Bread recipe has crunchy bread, fresh tomatoes, gooey melted cheese, and a tangy balsamic drizzle. It's a new spin on an old classic, great as a side dish or fun party appetizer!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 2-3 large ripe tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze, for topping
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the bread in half and place on the baking sheet cut side up. Place in the oven to lightly toast the bread, about 5 minutes.
- While the bread is toasting, add the butter to a small bowl and mix in the olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Spread the butter mixture evenly over the top of toasted bread. Lay the mozzarella slices over the butter, then top with the tomato slices and return to the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top with fresh basil and drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top. Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: This garlic bread really is best served fresh, as any leftovers become soggy. Only make however much you plan on enjoying immediately after preparing.
Bread: We have used Cuban bread and it was delicious as well! Just make sure to pick a fresh soft bread.
Salt the tomatoes. Tomatoes are delicious, but they’re so much more delicious when they’re salted. A little salt brings out a ton of extra flavor from tomatoes. To get the strongest tomato flavor, add a pinch of salt over the tomatoes before you add the basil and balsamic glaze. It’s important to only do this right before serving these sandwiches because salt will make the tomatoes seep water, which will make the sandwiches soggy after a while.
Add Spice: We have found this bread to be delicious with a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes. While not super hot, they add a good flavorful bite to your bread.
Pesto: Want to punch up the basil flavor? You can drizzle Fresh Basil Pesto over the bread or you can brush the bread with the pesto before adding the cheese and tomatoes.
Roast The Tomatoes: Another fun twist is to make a batch of these Roasted Tomatoes before adding them on top of your bread. This will deepen the tomato flavor, as well as adding a lot more of a garlicky punch to each bite.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 500mg, Potassium: 152mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 797IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 220mg, Iron: 2mg