I can’t believe it’s already Thursday! Per usual, this has been quite a busy week. Pre-K visited the Pumpkin Patch yesterday and we had a ball! The kids loved seeing hundreds of pumpkins and they thought the hay ride was too cool for school. They each got to pick out and keep their very own pumpkin, too. It was really a wonderful field trip for the youngsters. The Duke and I are thinking of heading to Tuscaloosa for the big game this weekend. Bama takes on Tennessee. While I’m not a tried and true Tide fan, I despise Tennessee, so I’ll be rooting on Bama as hard as I possibly can. The Gators play at Mississippi State, so Go Gators!
I know everyone has had a caprese salad or panini before. There is just something so perfect about the combination of fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and flavorful basil. The Duke is not a fan of raw tomatoes but LOVES them when served with mozzarella and basil. Seriously. This is the stuff dreams are made of. Can I just say that I love cheese? I cannot understand the folks that don’t like the taste of cheese. Are you crazy?! I thought I’d share my version of a caprese panini with you, which involves lots of cheese. Caprese traditionalists may not approve of it, but I don’t care. My version is thebomb.com and you’ve got to try it!
My Caprese Panini
Ingredients
- 1 ciabatta roll, split (I used whole wheat ciabatta rolls that I found at WalMart)
- 2 tbsp. pesto
- 2 slices provolone cheese
- 3 slices fresh buffalo mozzarella
- 3 slices Roma tomato
- 4 leaves fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high. Spray with cooking spray.
- Open ciabatta roll and spread one tbsp. of pesto on each halve, and then top with one slice of provolone each.
- Layer mozzarella, tomato, basil, salt and pepper on one half and top with second slice.
- Cook on griddle for 3-4 minutes per side, until cheese begins to melt and bread is crispy. You may want to use a heavy lid or second pan to weigh down sandwich.
- Remove from skillet and cut in two before serving.
Makes 1 sandwich
This is seriously one of my favorite sandwiches in the world. The pesto really brightens the flavor or the traditional basil, and the provolone just makes things soooooo much better. You can never have too much cheese, right? Hope you enjoy! See you Saturday.The Duchess
I saw you tweet about this and it sounded soooo good! I am so glad you chose to post it..it looks amazing!