Pressed Caprese Sandwich

My mom came to visit us last month on the weekend of the 4th. Aubrey and I had the idea of going to Fairhope to watch fireworks and listen to the Fairhope symphony play patriotic music in the park (well, I guess it was more of my idea..... or maybe all my idea). I was so excited to pack a picnic, and I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make. Aubrey had never been to a pops in the park, so he didn't really know what to expect. He thought I was going overboard packing a picnic, but he had a huge look of relief when we got to the park and saw hundreds of people that also had a picnic.

We all enjoyed the sandwich. Although this is better served warm, it traveled fairly well in a picnic basket. I wrapped each piece in aluminum foil and put them in the bottom of the basket to help flatten it further. This sandwich is probably one of my top favorite sandwiches of all times. I love the crispiness that the Ciabatta bread gives, and I can't ever resist the combination of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.


Pressed Caprese Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 Ciabatta loaf
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
1 ball of fresh Mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Several basil leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Slice the Ciabatta loaf in half, lengthwise. Brush olive oil onto the inside of the top and bottom slices of Ciabatta.

Layer the following ingredients in this order: mozzarella slices, tomatoes, and basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Top with the other half of bread, and place the sandwich on the baking sheet.

Place something heavy and oven-proof on top of the sandwich. You can use a brick wrapped in foil, or a heavy baking dish.... get creative. Place the heavy object on top of the sandwich, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the heavy object from the top of the sandwich, and brush the top of the sandwich with olive oil (you could also use olive oil spray, which is what I did). Bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Use a serrated knife to slice into 4 equal slices.

Source: Taste and See Original (inspired by my mom's warm sandwiches)