• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Wimpy Vegetarian
  • Home
  • About Susan
    • About Susan
    • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Recipe Index
  • Essential Pantry
    • Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
  • Contact Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Meal Plans
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Blog Post

    Grilled Italian Caprese Panini

    Modified: Nov 1, 2022 by Susan Pridmore · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    caprese panini

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe

    This month I'm helping the newest blogger in our Secret Recipe Club group and posting TWO great recipes I found on two different blogs. First up is this wonderful Caprese Panini by Kate at the Kitchen Trial and Error blog. But let me back up for a minute in case you're unfamiliar with The Secret Recipe Club.

    SRC

    For the uninitiated, The Secret Recipe Club is a group of around 130 food bloggers, separated into four smaller blogging groups, each of which post at different times of the month. Every month, we’re each assigned a blog in our group to look through. We try a few recipes and chose one to post about. But all month, we keep our assignment a secret until ‘reveal day’. It’s been a lot of fun – and I’ve found some great new blogs to follow and new recipes to add to my rotation.

    caprese panini

    Okay, back to Kate's wonderful blog. Kate is a married 30-something mom of 2 adorable boys, living outside Rochester NY. She works full-time in environmental design and product stewardship, and in her spare (!) time writes her blog to keep track of her recipes. She got into cooking in a very big way when she and her husband were first married, making pasta and breads from scratch, and started sharing recipes at work. After a lot of urging from her husband she decided to launch her blog in 2010. Please go over and check it out - it's full of great recipes like Ina's Maple and Oatmeal Scones  and her Black Bean Quesadillas. But first you've got to try this Caprese Panini.

    Caprese, of course, refers to a caprese salad composed of basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes. Putting them into a vegetarian sandwich is just genius. So easy and delicious.

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe
    Caprese panini with pesto, grilled tomatoes and melted mozzarella.
    4.59 from 12 votes

    Grilled Italian Caprese Panini

    From the Kitchen Trial and Error blog for Secret Recipe Club.
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe Add to Recipe Collection Go to Collections Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Lunch
    Servings: 4 sandwiches
    Author: Susan Pridmore
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons Basil Pesto
    • 4 large or 6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes sliced into ¼" slices
    • 4 sandwich rolls
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced or coarsely grated
    • salt pepper, olive oil

    Instructions

    • Make the Basil Pesto. Alternatively, to make this recipe super-simple and fast, use your favorite store bought pesto (although, honestly, nothing's as good as homemade...).
    • Heat a grill pan (or Foreman Grill) over medium high heat and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil Add the tomato slices and grill for a couple minutes on each side, until softened.
    • Slice the rolls in half and spread a thick layer of pesto on the top half of each roll and arrange the cheese on the bottom half. Layer the grilled tomatoes on top and finish with the top half of each sandwich roll. Brush the tops and bottoms of each rolls with the final 1 tablespoon olive oil and place back on the grill pan. Press lightly and cook for 5 minutes. Carefully flip with a metal spatula and lightly press again. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
    « Lemony Three Bean Salad
    Tomato Pie »

    About Susan Pridmore

    Susan Pridmore is an award-winning cookbook author and the owner of The Wimpy Vegetarian. She has been featured in Huffington Post, Healthline, BuzzFeed, and has written for and developed recipes for The Food Network and Parade Magazine. She is professionally trained and focuses on easy vegetarian recipes for busy lives, bread-baking, and tips for new vegetarians. Susan lives in the mountains in Lake Tahoe with her husband and mini-labradoodle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. avril

      August 03, 2015 at 4:20 am

      5 stars
      Mouth watering delicious-ness to the MAX! Panini sandwiches are the VERY best - I adore that this was your pick for SRC this month!! 🙂

      Reply
    2. sara

      August 03, 2015 at 5:30 am

      This looks so yummy! I am such a panini fan but I rarely make them at home...I definitely need to change that!

      Reply
    3. danielle

      August 03, 2015 at 7:30 am

      I am drooling over this picture. I need this for breakfast and lunch today.

      Reply
    4. devangi Raval

      August 03, 2015 at 7:52 am

      I love paninis. Best food for lunch. I would prefer hot panini any time over a cold sandwich. Nothing is better than caprese panini.

      Reply
    5. Sarah

      August 03, 2015 at 8:30 am

      This just screams summer 🙂 I love paninis, and hardly ever make them. You've inspired me 🙂

      Reply
    6. Leslie Limon

      August 03, 2015 at 10:14 am

      5 stars
      Yes, please! Sandwiches (of any kind) are one of the few foods I could eat every day and never get bored. Love that these are made with homemade pesto. Happy Reveal Day!

      Reply
    7. Amanda E

      August 03, 2015 at 12:24 pm

      This looks fantastic! Perfect way to use up some summer tomatoes 🙂

      Reply
    8. Leigh

      August 03, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      How good does melted cheese look! Your sandwich is making me hungry. 🙂

      Reply
    9. Anna

      August 03, 2015 at 7:23 pm

      When I finally get some ripe tomatoes out of my garden, I am definitely going to have to try this. Yum!

      Reply
    10. cheri

      August 08, 2015 at 7:40 am

      5 stars
      This is the perfect sandwich, love this combination!

      Reply
    11. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables

      August 21, 2015 at 4:28 am

      This would definitely be the kind of recipe that both my husband and I would LOVE! I've pinned so I can make it soon!

      Reply
    12. Ladyjorns.Com

      May 03, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      5 stars
      Caprese chicken is of my favorite flavor combos, and paninis are always a good idea! Thanks for the post, I ll need to make this soon!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        May 04, 2020 at 11:22 am

        5 stars
        Mine too! As summer rolls in, it's back on our menu too :-). I hope you give it a try.

        Reply
    13. mjskitchen

      July 07, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      The panini is a must make! We've picked our first tomatoes of the season and tomorrow, I'm getting fresh baked bread from the bakery and fresh mozzarella. Can't wait to bite into this sandwich. Thanks!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        July 07, 2022 at 10:19 pm

        5 stars
        It will be perfect for you with all that freshly picked (and baked) ingredients! I hope you like it!

        Reply
    4.59 from 12 votes (4 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian

    about the author:

    Susan Pridmore

    Hi there! I'm an award-winning cookbook author, culinary school graduate, professional photographer and recipe developer. My cookbook Simply Vegetarian was named #1 best cookbook for new vegetarians, and I want to make it easier for you to cook fabulous vegetarian meals. Come join me in the kitchen!

    More about me →

    READER FAVORITES

    • Summer peach cake topped with fresh peaches and blueberries on a marble counter.
      Lazy Summer Peach Cake Recipe with Blueberries
    • A bowl of fresh strawberry salsa with a crostini spread with cheese and topped with salsa.
      Easy Strawberry Salsa Recipe with Chocolate Nibs
    • A bowl of cooked, fluffy brown rice topped with a little fresh thyme.
      How to Cook Fluffy Rice with Tips (White AND Brown Rice)
    • Four dishes from a vegetarian St. Patrick's Day roundup of recipes with text overlay.
      Irish Vegetarian Recipes (St. Patricks Day)

    15 Tips for Going Vegetarian (Updated!)

    A colander filled with freshly washed apples with text overlay.

    Purchase My Cookbook!!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Purchase my cookbook
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe Index

    Copyright © 2025 The Wimpy Vegetarian

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.