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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Snacks » Open-Faced Grilled Caprese Sandwich

    Open-Faced Grilled Caprese Sandwich

    Published: Jun 20, 2016 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    522 shares
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    Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Stella® cheeses. All opinions are my own!

    A plate of open-faced cheese and tomato sandwiches.

    HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER, EVERYBODY.

    All caps were highly necessary for that greeting because, in my opinion, summer is the raddest season and while we've had mostly summery weather in Boston lately, it is now officially the best season of the year. Yassssss.

    I feel the happiest and most motivated during the warmer months and aim to live somewhere where winter is non-existent...eventually. I love beach days, BBQs, outdoor dining, and not having to wear huge snow boots and coats. Also, summer cocktails.

    Jason and I actually purchased a new gas grill last week because the one we had was very sad and just had to go. We debated on just using our charcoal grill for a while to save some cash, but we ended up finding a super awesome deal on a new grill and decided to go for it. I love having both options for grills handy, especially with the hot weather! We're planning to use the stove and oven less frequently this summer.

    So we've got summer officially here and a new grill to break in this season. What better way to welcome both than to make something fresh? Summer foods are where it's at, no?

    And so the inspiration started to kick in with foods to make on our shiny new grill and when I was thinking of a tasty recipe for today's post using fresh mozzarella, my mind immediately went to a caprese and there was no shaking that thought. I love capreses and tend to binge on them during the summer months, but I didn't want to just share a caprese! I wanted something more; something slightly different! But still familiar, delicious, and easy. Because it's summer, you guys. And it's time to relax.

    So I played with the idea of a grilled pizza and worked from that. Then I did some food shopping and came across a 16-ounce loaf of Francese from a local bakery and it hit me: A grilled caprese sandwich, open-faced style; enough to serve Jason, myself, and a few friends too.

    Bread, packages of fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil on a tabletop.

    I was pretty stoked to see that Stella recently added fresh mozzarella cheese to their line of goods because 1. fresh mozzarella is ♥ and 2. I like their cheeses! I frequently purchase their blue cheese and kasseri and now that I've tried their fresh mozzarella, that's on the list now too. It's soft, creamy, and maybe a little dangerous. At least, it's dangerous for me because I sometimes don't know when to stop when it comes to eating cheese. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

    The fresh mozzarella can be purchased as an 8 ounce ball or 16 ounce log. And to celebrate the launch of this creamy cheese, Stella has a $1.00 off coupon, which you can get here. Huzzah!

    How To Make A Grilled Caprese

    To start, you will need some tasty balsamic reduction, which you can make the day of or prep in advance. I recommend doing the latter, so that you save some time when making the grilled capreses. Besides, balsamic reduction will keep for a long time in the fridge.

    To make the reduction, you simply get 1 cup of good quality balsamic vinegar and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally, until it's reduced by half. Transfer it to another container, let it cool, and store it in the fridge. Easy peasy!

    As for the rest of the ingredients for the sandwich, you'll need a 16 ounce loaf of awesome bread (get it from your local bakery!), 2-3 vine-ripe tomatoes, a small handful of fresh basil leaves, 12 ounces of fresh mozzarella, some olive oil, garlic cloves, and salt. I used a Francese loaf here, but ciabatta would also be delicious AF.

    Start by mincing or crushing the garlic and add it to the olive oil with a pinch of salt and set aside. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients to allow the garlic to infuse the oil a bit.

    Then, take your giant loaf of bread and with a serrated knife, slice it in half horizontally. If the top seems too rounded to lay flat and keep the toppings in place, slice a thin layer of the bread off to flatten it out (then, snack on that tiny slice). After that, slice your tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into even-sized rounds. Then, thinly slice the basil leaves, making a chiffonade. Now, you're ready to move onto the grilling fun.

    A collage of a loaf of bread, measuring glass with olive oil, and sliced tomatoes on a cutting board.

    If using a gas grill, preheat on medium-high. If you're using a charcoal grill, set it up like you do. Add the bread to the grill, lower the lid, and toast it 1-2 minutes per side, then remove it from the heat.

    An outdoor grill on a deck.

    With the sliced part of the toasted bread facing up, brush it all over with the olive oil, until all of the oil is used up and there is no garlic left behind! Notice if there are any holes at the bottom of the bread the oil is dripping through. If so, blot it up a little to avoid a greasy mess. Reduce the heat on the grill to medium.

    A close up of oil being brushed onto a large slice of bread.

    Assemble the bread with cheese, tomatoes, and basil chiffonade, in that order. Alternately, you can overlap the tomatoes and cheese. Place your two giant open-faced sandwiches on the grill.

    An open-faced cheese and tomato sandwich cooking on a griill.

    Lower the lid and let cook for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted, the tomatoes have softened, and the bread is toasted.

    An open faced cheese and tomato  sandwich on a cutting board.

    Remove from heat and slice the grilled caprese into 6 rectangular slices to serve as a meal or 12 squared slices for an appetizer or snack.

    Top with balsamic reduction and serve.

    A close up of open-faced cheese and tomato sandwich pieces on a plate.

    If you want to know more about Stella cheeses, check them out here. If social media is your thing, you can find them on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

    And don't forget about that $1.00 off coupon you can find here! You can use that dollar towards the ingredients needed for those many summer drinks.

    Open-Faced Grilled Caprese Sandwich | omgfood.com

    Open-Faced Grilled Caprese Sandwich

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 14 minutes
    Total Time: 34 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Author: Marissa

    Ingredients

    Balsamic Reduction

    • 1 cup balsamic vinegar

    Grilled Caprese

    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 pound Francese or ciabatta loaf
    • 12 ounces Stella Fresh Mozzarella
    • 2-3 vine-ripe tomatoes
    • ½ cup fresh basil leaves

    Instructions

    Balsamic Reduction (Pro-tip: Make this ahead to save time!)

    • In a medium-sized saucepan, add the cup of balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let come to a boil.
    • Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Remove from heat when the balsamic has reduced by half. Move to another container and let cool. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

    Grilled Caprese

    • Peel and mince or crush the garlic and add it to the olive oil in a measuring cup or small bowl. Add in the salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
    • Slice the bread horizontally to create two flat pieces for your open-faced sandwich. If the top is too rounded to lay flat on a surface, slice off a thin layer.
    • Slice the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into even-sized rounds.
    • Thinly slice the basil leaves, creating a chiffonade.
    • Preheat the grill over medium-high heat.
    • Add the bread to the grill, close the lid, and toast 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
    • Reduce the heat on the grill to medium.
    • With the toasted bread sliced side up, assemble with cheese and tomatoes. Top with basil.
    • Return the open-faced sandwich to the grill, close the lid, and let cook for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted, the tomatoes and basil have softened, and the bread has toasted.
    • Remove from heat and slice into 6 rectangular pieces to serve as a main dish or 12 squares to serve as an appetizer.
    • Lightly drizzle with some balsamic reduction and serve.
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @omgfoodblog and hashtag it #omgfoodblog!


    Pinterest banner for open-faced grilled caprese sandwich.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple says

      June 22, 2016 at 3:27 pm

      Oh my goodness. These look insanely delicious!! I need to make them. The Stella Mozzarella is so delicious + versatile!

      Reply
      • Marissa @ OMGfood says

        June 22, 2016 at 7:11 pm

        Thanks, Liz! I have more of the cheese in the fridge and am about to grill a flatbread pizza with it. 😀 Let me know how the grilled caprese comes out if you make it!

        Reply
    2. Kristen Chidsey says

      June 23, 2016 at 9:58 am

      I was just gifted a HUGE box of tomatoes. I know what I am making~~

      Reply
      • Marissa @ OMGfood says

        June 23, 2016 at 10:00 am

        Yasssss! That's a pretty tasty gift. Let me know how it comes out when you make it!

        Reply
    3. Dorothy Dunton says

      June 26, 2016 at 10:09 am

      Hi Marissa! I could definitely make a meal out of this! We are just starting to get fresh, local tomatoes and I have a ton of basil growing in my herb garden. I just picked up some mozzarella pearls and grape tomatoes to make mini caprese on toothpicks. NOW I need to get a ball of mozzarella and a loaf of ciabatta and fire up the grill...might have to pop open a bottle of wine to have with it!

      Reply
      • Marissa @ OMGfood says

        June 27, 2016 at 11:51 am

        Mini capreses on toothpicks! I would eat so many of those.

        Also, only one bottle of wine? 🙂

        Reply
    4. Dorothy Dunton says

      June 27, 2016 at 6:53 pm

      Hi Marissa! That one bottle of wine is mine! If y'all are coming over I'll get another 4-5 bottles! I'll make mini caprese and will grill some sausage - you bring the bread! 🙂

      Reply
      • Marissa @ OMGfood says

        June 28, 2016 at 9:32 am

        Deal! 😀

        Reply
    5. Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says

      June 30, 2016 at 11:11 pm

      This is so up my alley!! I will be making it soon!! Love Stella cheese too! 🙂

      Reply
      • Marissa @ OMGfood says

        July 01, 2016 at 12:49 pm

        Yassssssssss!

        Reply
    6. Monica says

      April 10, 2022 at 9:27 am

      I was wondering about the garlic and olive oil mixture…instructions don’t mention it.

      Reply
      • Marissa @ OMGfood says

        May 12, 2022 at 9:04 am

        Hi Monica! Sorry for the confusion. The instructions do mention it, though it's the first instruction under the "grilled caprese" section and not in its own section. I've made a note to update that soon to make it less confusing. I hope you had a chance to make and enjoy the recipe!

        Reply

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