Caprese Panini (Grilled Cheese)
FitMenCook
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is truly a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and enjoying adequate exercise. By experimenting in the kitchen and openly sharing my meals, I learned that healthy eating is hardly boring and that by making a few adjustments, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my personal fitness goals. Our bodies are built in the kitchen and sculpted in the gym.
This is the season of calorie-conscious comfort food and tailgating for football and luckily, I picked up the perfect tool for both. Recently, I picked up the amazing Caprese panini/grill skillet from Kohl’s to test out and I haven’t put it down since.
Playing around with it, I got inspired to make a “grilled cheese” but with a small twist. I used basil, tomato, and balsamic glaze to give it my own twist on a Caprese salad. Also, I used lite safflower mayo instead of butter to make the outer part evenly “creamy and crispy” with each bite. Try it!
First, slice your wheat bun in half. Then, assemble your Caprese panini with balsamic glaze, thinly sliced tomatoes, a layer of fresh basil, and fat-reduced mozzarella. Add the protein of your choice. I used prosciutto, but I believe it would be perfect with chicken too.
Apply mayo on one side of the sandwich and place on a hot grill with mayo faced down. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until golden brown, add the rest of the mayo on the top of the sandwich, and flip to the other side. After roughly 2 minutes, your grilled Caprese is done!
Serve on a plate, cut in half, and enjoy the Caprese sandwich with your favorite game!
LOVE IT. It adds grill marks to just about anything, so you lock in a flavor and make all your food even more appetizing. Plus, I like that you can also toss it on your grill while tailgating for a smoky or BBQ-inspired treat.
This couldn’t be simpler to make! In 15 minutes or less as you need for the recipe, you will feel like you’ve brought the Mediterranean right into your kitchen.
Do you like this sandwich recipe? Let me know what you think and have you already tried it in the comments below.
Caprese Panini (Grilled Cheese)
Ingredients for 1 caprese panini:
- 1 100-calorie wheat bun
- 3oz choice of protein (I used about 3 slices of prosciutto and trimmed fat from edges to save a few calories)
- 2 thin sliced tomatoes (dried on a paper towel to remove excess water)
- 1.5 oz reduced fat mozzarella
- 1/8 cup fresh basil (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze
- 1 teaspoon safflower mayo
Utensils: Panini skillet/grill
- Assemble the sandwich with protein, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and balsamic glaze.
- Place the skillet on medium high heat and spray it with olive oil.
- Spread half of the mayo on one side of the sandwich.
- When the skillet is hot, place the sandwich on the grill with the mayo side down (so it’s cooking). Allow it to cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich using the panini grill lid.
- Spread mayo on the other side of the sandwich, and when ready, flip the sandwich over so the other side cooks (roughly same amount of time, maybe a little less time).
- Remove the sandwich from the grill and enjoy!
Approximate macros for 1 serving:
Available in the FitMenCook app
Open this recipe in the FitMenCook app to add the ingredients to your shopping list, scale the recipe and track your calories. Enjoy!
