Pressed caprese sandwiches are made with chewy ciabatta bread, creamy mozzarella cheese, tangy sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and pesto. They’re refrigerated for a few hours while being pressed under a heavy weight to let the flavors combine and permeate the bread. They’re the perfect thing to bring to a party or summer barbeque because they can be served cold, or at room temperature. These versatile sandwiches can be served as a main dish or an appetizer, depending on how you slice them.
To make these sandwiches, start by cutting a loaf of ciabatta bread in half. Warm the bread under a broiler. Lay sliced mozzarella cheese on one half of the bread and spread pesto on the other. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Press the bread together to make a sandwich and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Then, press the sandwich by placing something heavy on it. I used another baking sheet with milk jugs on top of it.
Refrigerate the sandwich while it’s being pressed for at least two hours. You could also do this the night before you plan on serving it.
When you’re ready to serve, unwrap the sandwich and cut it into individual portions. I made one cut lengthwise and 5 cuts widthwise to make 12 sandwiches the size of sliders.
Note: To make fresh mozzarella easier to slice, place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
- 1 lb. loaf ciabatta
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ cup well drained, chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup prepared pesto
- Preheat broiler to high. Cut the ciabatta in half, lengthwise, to create a top and bottom for a sandwich. Lay the bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler just until the bread is warmed and slightly toasted (about 2 minutes).
- While the bread is still warm, lay the mozzarella in an even layer on one of the pieces of bread. Sprinkle the mozzarella with salt and pepper. Spread the sun dried tomatoes on top of the cheese. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes and cheese.
- On the other piece of bread, spread the pesto in an even layer.
- Put the bread together to make a sandwich. Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Place something heavy on top of the sandwich to press it (a large book, a baking sheet with milk jugs on it, etc.). Place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Unwrap the sandwich and slice it into smaller sandwiches (I made 12).
I love your kitchen tools (jug of milk and cookie sheet) : ). This sandwich looks perfect for a picnic.
Lol! Thanks Julie. I just figured I would use what I had available 🙂
Will this get soggy if I make it a night before (almost a day and a half before serving)??? Worried the bread will get mushy thoughts??