Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Sandwiches

I've heard lots of different names for this fabulous combination: Margherita and Caprese are both popular titles for tomato, basil, and mozzarella together in a dish. The red, white, and green symbolize the colors of the Italian flag, and the name was given to honor Queen Margherita of Italy.

I was immediately attracted to Beth's recipe on Budget Bytes, which featured this famous medley. After a few alterations, I was ready to give it a try. My biggest concern was to preserve the crispiness of the bread. By grilling the sourdough on its own, it is protected from absorbing too much vinegar and keep the stability of the sandwich intact.

Prosciutto isn't necessary to enjoying this sandwich, but Dan the Man highly recommends it! The saltiness goes wonderfully with the creamy fresh mozzarella.


Ingredients

• loaf of fresh sourdough Italian bread, thickly sliced
• butter (for grilling)
• vine ripe tomatoes, sliced across into rounds
• ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• balsamic vinegar (for drizzling)
• olive oil (for drizzling)
• freshly ground pepper 
• small package of prosciutto (optional)

Directions

1. Heat up frying pan or griddle to medium heat.
2. Butter both sides of Italian bread slices. Grill both sides of each piece until crispy; remove from heat.
3. Assemble sandwiches from the bottom up: tomato, mozzarella, basil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly ground pepper. Top with a few slices of prosciutto, if using.
4. Slice sandwiches in half and enjoy immediately!