Everyone loves a good tomato caprese salad, but I love to sub in peaches instead and turn the classic salad into a grilled cheese sandwich. And it's the perfect summer lunch.
"Caprese" simply means from the island of Capri, but has come to be used to describe a simple salad of sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar.
Instead of tomatoes, I decided to use sliced peaches, and then turn the whole thing into a grilled cheese sandwich.
Subbing fresh, juicy peaches for the tomatoes in a classic caprese sandwich really delivers all the summer vibes. The key is using peaches that are very ripe, so the sweet juices mingle with the melty cheese in every bite.
A dash of salt on the peaches helps to bring out their sweetness even more. I could happily eat this sandwich every day all summer long.
(scroll down for the printable recipe card)
Peach Caprese Grilled Sandwiches with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella
Makes 2 sandwiches.
4 slices sourdough or Italian bread
2 tablespoons salted butter
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 slices
4 peach slices
6 basil leaves
Honey, for drizzling
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Butter one side of each of the slices of bread.
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, then put two of the slices of bread, butter side down, into the skillet.
Top with half the mozzarella and the peaches then season with salt and pepper, top with the basil, and drizzle with the honey.
Top each sandwich with the remaining mozzarella and the remaining two slices of bread, buttered side facing up.
Press down lightly on each sandwich with a spatula, then cover and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Then carefully flip the sandwiches and toast on the other side until crisp and golden and the cheese is melty.
Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
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Fresh Tip: A ripe peach should smell sweet and yield slightly to your touch. To ensure a peach is ripe, check the stem and choose those peaches with a brown stem. Any green on the stem or around the stem means the peach isn’t ripe. To ripen peaches quickly, enclose them in a paper sandwich bag overnight. Even better if you can toss an avocado, apple or banana in the bag, and that will help the peach ripen even more quickly.
This recipe has been excerpted from In Season :125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Celebrating Simple, Fresh Ingredients (HarperCollins, 2026).
