The Caprese Panini My Family Loves

I’m so excited to share this simple dinner idea that I love making for my family. They truly look forward to this Caprese panini and it’s oh so good!

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Coming up with vegetarian recipes that my littles will eat is a struggle. I cannot just whip up a salad with tofu and call it dinner — no way! So I’ve taken to Pinterest to get some ideas.  

My no-fail, the go-to recipe is always Caprese Paninis.  I just have to have the ingredients.  It is so delicious and even my husband is a fan. It’s also super simple for those in a time crunch.  

You don’t even need a panini machine. I use a skillet that has groves and it allows me to create the panini pattern on the outside of the sandwich.  

Ingredients for Caprese Panini

Olive Oil

Sliced bread (found in your grocery store’s bakery section)

Fresh Mozzarella

Baby Spinach

Pesto

Tomato

Balsamic Vinegar

How to Make a Caprese Panini

I started by putting the pan on medium heat and adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.  I once used butter to keep the bread from sticking and it also tasted delicious. While that heats up, I spread some pre-made pesto onto two slices of bread.  This time, I used Buitoni’s Pesto with Basil.

Then I place the clean sides of those slices face-down in the pan. I then start to stack my sandwich. The mozzarella comes in a ball so I cut two slices about an inch thick. I place the cheese on top of one of the slices that have the pesto facing upward.  

Then I get a handful of Spinach and stack that on top of the cheese followed by a couple of slices of tomato.  Then drizzle a bit of Balsamic Vinegar on top of the tomato.  About a Tablespoon should do.  

Next, I place the other slice of bread, pesto side down onto my veggie and cheese stack.  I let it grill for about another minute and then I carefully, using a spatula, flip the sandwich and grill the other side for about a minute or two.  You want the outside of your sandwich to be crispy.  

Once you’ve achieved your desired crispiness, transfer your sandwich with your spatula to your plate.  I cut the sandwich in half for my girls to make it easier for their little hands to grab.

I also love this recipe because my girls get some veggies.  You can really pack in the spinach and they will never know because it tastes so good with the cheese and vinegar. You can also try adding some sun-dried tomatoes in there for kicks.  Super yummy!