Grilled Mozzarella Sandwich

This delicious grilled mozzarella sandwich is perfect to make when you want something fresh with a gourmet quality, but don’t want to go to a restaurant. Homemade walnut pesto, fresh tomatoes and melted mozzarella make every bite full of flavor. Be sure to make a double batch of the pesto so you can whip up a tasty sandwich later on in the week.

How to make grilled mozzarella sandwich – step by step
To make the pesto
Place the basil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese in the food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and blend. While the food processor is on, pour the olive oil slowly into the mixture in order to allow the olive oil to emulsify.

To assemble the sandwiches
You will need some sourdough bread sliced about 1/2 inch thick, whole mozzarella cheese, the pesto you just successfully whipped up, along with large tomato slices and roasted red pepper.

Next, you’ll want to spread the pesto on four slices of the sourdough bread, and place two of the slices right on the panini maker with the pesto side up.

The assembly all happens in the panini maker (or toaster oven or grill pan). Add the mozzarella cheese on right away, and give it a minute to settle in and start melting. Start piling the tomatoes and roasted red peppers (carefully).

And then, close the sandwich with the remaining bread (pesto side down) and close the panini maker. This is seriously the hardest part of the recipe. The type of bread you use and how high you stack the sandwich can really make or break the sandwich. You want to lightly press on the sandwich so we don’t end up with a pressed pile of cheesy bread

You’ll know it’s done when the bread is crispy and golden brown and the mozzarella cheese is melty. It’s a sandwich recipe that looks totally gourmet and tastes out of this world!

Tips for making grilled mozzarella sandwich

Don’t have a panini maker? You can use a toaster oven to achieve the same result (minus those pretty grill lines). You can also use a grill pan or regular pan to make this sandwich recipe.
Don’t have a food processor? Just buy store-bought pesto! But really, if you can find a way to make your own pesto, it really takes this sandwich to another level.
Make sure you use the freshest ingredients you can for maximum flavor. That is especially true for the basil and the mozzarella cheese.
Use thick sturdy sourdough bread that is not airy on the inside to ensure the sandwich stays put when you press on it in the panini maker.

Ingredients

For the Sandwich

• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese sliced
• 1 large tomato sliced
• 2 oz roasted red peppers jarred

For the Pesto

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 tablespoons walnuts
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. To make the pesto, place the basil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese in the food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and blend. While the food processor is on, pour the olive oil slowly into the mixture in order to allow the olive oil to emulsify.
2. Spread the pesto equally on the 4 slices of bread and place the bread on the panini maker or in a toaster oven for 2 minutes.
3. Then place the mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and roasted red peppers on top of bread slices and allow the cheese to melt and the veggies to soften.
4. Once the cheese melts, close the sandwich, cut and serve immediately

Notes :
Storage: Leftover pesto should be covered and stored in the refrigerator, it will keep fresh for one week. I would not recommend storing the sandwich though for more than a couple hours. If you have sandwich leftovers, it's best to reheat using a toaster oven or panini maker.

Make Ahead Tips: You can make the pesto up to one week in advance and then use in the the grilled sandwich when you're ready.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
Instead whole mozzarella, you can use shredded mozzarella. Although I think it creates a completely different flavor and texture to the sandwich.

Instead of walnuts, you can use other nuts, like pine nuts, almonds or pecans, to make the pesto

Equipment: I use the Kitchen Aid 7-Cup Food processor Kitchen Aid 11-Cup Food Processor to to make the pesto. It has a high and low pulse speed so you can make the pesto as smooth or chunky as you’d like. And it has a 3-in-1 wide mouth feed tube to make it easier to slowly add olive oil while the machine is running.
It’s so fun to make sandwiches in my panini maker. I have the Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler – pretty much a magic appliance in my kitchen that does so much! If you don't have a panini grill, you can use a skillet and cook the sandwich for 2 minutes per side, pressing down with a spatula as you cook.

Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. This information should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. The nutrition value is for one serving which is one whole sandwich (half the recipe)

Nutrition

• Serving: 1g | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 960IU | Vitamin C: 16.1mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 3mg

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