Entertaining

Mini Caprese Paninis Recipe

December 28, 2012

By Christina Stanley

servings: 16 mini sandwiches
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes
total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

8 slices sturdy white bread
½ cup pesto genovese sauce (I used store-bought)
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
½ cup basil leaves
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Step 1: Place bread slices onto a flat surface. Spread 8 of the slices with pesto sauce.

Step 2: Evenly distribute mozzarella, tomato, and basil leaves on top of each of the pesto dressed slices. Top each sandwich with remaining slices of bread.

Step 3: Spray each panini with cooking spray on both sides.

Step 4: Preheat two large skillets over medium heat.

Step 5: Place two panini into each skillet. Use a second heavy skillet to press down the top of the panini to help the sandwiches brown and the cheese melt. Cook panini until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Step 6: Remove panini from skillet. Cut crusts off of panini and cut each into 4 triangles. Serve warm.

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Christina Stanley-Salerno is a recipe developer, food stylist, photographer and blogger at TakeBackYourTable.com. She has an intense passion for the family meal and as a work-at-home mother of two growing boys, knows first-hand the challenges of trying to get a meal on the table. Before going freelance, she was on-staff at Every Day with Rachael Ray where she had the pleasure of working alongside some of the best in the food business. She is now a full-time work at home mom, writing recipes for everyone from Momtastic to Parents.com. Creating simple, quick and healthy meals is her specialty and her trick to keeping the family meal a reality, even on busy weeknights.
Follow her on Twitter @TakeBackTables