Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate turns a traditional caprese salad into a tasty, toasty and truly tempting summer sandwich.

I’m a huge fan of all things caprese. Not only is it delicious, but it screams “summertime!” Sure, you could make a caprese salad during the winter, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near as flavorful as it is in the summer with sweet and juicy tomatoes and basil from the garden or farmers market. I love adding the flavors of a caprese salad to so many dishes — from pasta salad to crostini — and now this Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich.

This sandwich starts by marinating chicken breasts in a simple combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you have the time, marinate it all day for maximum flavor.

This sandwich is also best if you grill the bread, which gets it a little toasty and adds so much flavor to the sandwich. Oh, and you’re going to want to use good bread, like a loaf of sourdough or French bread from the bakery. This is not a time to use regular sandwich bread!

Once the chicken and bread are grilled, the rest is super easy. Simply assemble the sandwich by topping the grilled chicken with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, tomato slices and fresh basil, and finishing it off with a drizzle of balsamic reduction glaze. I used to make my own balsamic glaze, but lately I’ve been a big fan of the store-bought kind. It’s so much easier than making your own, and it tastes just as good. Plus, I love having the bottle to squeeze it from. Of course, if you want, you can certainly make your own!

We served these sandwiches with some grilled vegetables and a cucumber salad. It was such a satisfying summer meal.