Recipes

lunch

Loaded Caprese Grilled Cheese

5

| Published on November 13, 2024

This Caprese Grilled Cheese is loaded with basil pesto, a thick and chunky garlic butter tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese, all on grilled sourdough bread. The perfect taste of summer.

|

|

Loaded Caprese Grilled Cheese

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

30 mins

Servings:

4

Yield:

2-4


Jump to Nutrition Facts

Loaded Caprese Grilled Cheese, you think. That sounds good, you think.

Okay, but DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW GOOD THIS IS. ‼‼‼

It’s summer, and the eating is good. Fresh tomatoes, spicy garlic, creamy butter, and perky green basil. You know it’s SUMMER-summer when they finally start stocking the huge containers of basil in the grocery store – the ones that come straight from a local grower or farmer instead of this five-basil-leaves-for-$5 nonsense that we Midwesterners struggle with through the fall, winter, and spring.

How To Make Our Caprese Grilled Cheese:

Caprese Grilled Cheese.

You know those times you just get on a good run? It’s the opposite of a rut, in my mind: a rut is when you are bored with what you’re eating. You’re just eating to put food in your body. A run, though. A good run is when you legit *wow* yourself at every meal. It’s like the food of the season is speaking just to your tastebuds – you see possibility everywhere and you just cannot stop yourself from loving every. single. thing.

Good news! I am on a run.

I am just loving food lately – all kinds of food. Healthy food, homemade desserts, fair food, campfire spin-offs, and regular old grilled cheese sandwiches. Except that’s a lie; I’m not eating regular grilled cheese sandwiches. I’m eating loaded caprese grilled cheese sandwiches hot off the grill aka skillet. Holy yummers. These are so good.

A key component to this cheese bomb masterpiece is the garlic butter tomato sauce, which comes together in about fifteen minutes and really deserves its own post. I’ve made variations of that garlic butter tomato sauce before, but this time the addition of balsamic is kicking it up a notch. Also, this one is THICK. Way thicker than any previous versions, in a really good way. It is borderline tomato jam, except not sweet, annnnd not really like jam. You guys know what I mean, right? Is this helping?

Tomatoes in a clear container.

Above all else, please just gaze upon the knob of butter that gets melted in at the end and the velvety finish that results.

I know. See it and weep.

Tomatoes simmering with butter.

Caprese Grilled Cheese being cut with a knife.

Fun product alert: we are using Land O Lakes® Salted Butter in Half Sticks (cuuuute) for this recipe and they are the bees knees.

Rather than getting out a full stick of butter, you can just use the little half-size guys and use the first few pats of butter in your tomato sauce, and the second few pats of butter for frying up your sandwich. Could not be more slick.

Caprese Grilled Cheese with pesto and tomato sauce.

These sandwiches are an epic summer cheat. They are not for the faint of heart. I repeat: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

Molten mozzarella cheese will absolutely spill out the sides of your grilled sourdough, as will drips of pesto and chunky buttery garlic tomato sauce, and you will get a feeling in your heart that says: I was made for this caprese grilled cheese moment.

Ingredients

for the garlic butter tomato sauce

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 10 ounces fresh cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons butter I used Land O Lakes Salted Butter in Half Sticks

for the caprese grilled cheese

  • Garlic Butter Tomato Sauce (ingredients follow)
  • 2 tablespoons butter I used Land O Lakes Salted Butter in Half Sticks
  • 4 large slices of thick, yummy sourdough bread
  • 4 thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup pesto (see notes)

Directions

Step 1

Make the Garlic Butter Tomato Sauce. Pour the tomatoes into a dry nonstick skillet. Heat until they start to get just slightly charred on the outside. Reduce heat and add one tablespoons of butter and give it a stir (it will probably splatter). Press the tomatoes gently with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juices. Add balsamic, garlic, and one more tablespoon butter. Simmer all together until thick and yummy. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Assemble. Layer the pesto, cheese, and tomato sauce onto a slice of bread. Top with a slice of bread, spread with butter on the outside of the bread. (Repeat for second sandwich.)

Step 3

Pan-fry. Transfer your sandwich to a skillet over medium high heat. Cook until the cheese is melted, flipping once or twice to get both sides browned. When you pull that sandwich off the skillet, let me just tell you: you are in for THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE.

Editor's Note:

This recipe makes two whopper sandwiches. Works to serve two or four, depending on your self control.


Nutrition Facts(per serving)

372

Calories

23g

Fat

27g

Carbs

13g

Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts

Servings per Recipe: 4

Calories: 372


% Daily Value *


Total Fat: 23g

29.5%


Saturated Fat: 9g

45.0%


Cholesterol: 48mg

16.0%


Sodium: 590mg

25.7%


Total Carbohydrate: 27g

9.8%


Dietary Fiber: 2g

7.1%


Total Sugars: 5g

10.0%


Protein: 13g

26.0%


Vitamin C: 10mg

11.1%


Calcium: 0mg

0.0%


Iron: 2mg

11.1%


Potassium : 283mg

6.0%


* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Keywords:

Lunch recipes, loaded recipe, caprese recipe, grilled recipe, cheese recipe, Loaded Caprese Grilled Cheese recipe

Reviews

Log in or Sign up to leave a review