Caprese Bacon Melt with Garlic Basil Aioli

Stacked halves of BLT on parchment paper

Caprese Bacon Melt with Garlic Basil Aioli

Everything you love about a melty grilled cheese sandwich with crispy bacon and Italian inspired twist! Light and fresh flavors of fresh mozzarella, basil, and garlic stacked with juicy tomato and smoky thick cut bacon. Simple but jazzed up, a Caprese Bacon Melt is perfect for a no fuss meal in just minutes.

Course sandwiches

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon melt, caprese sandwiches, melt sandwiches, toasted sandwiches

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings sandwiches

Calories 974kcal

Equipment

cast iron skillet

Ingredients

8 slices multigrain bread
3 large heirloom tomatoes ¼ to ½ inch slice
8 ounces whole milk mozzarella thinly sliced
12 ounces thick cut bacon about 9 slices
¾ cup mayonnaise
6 large basil leaves thinly sliced
1 clove garlic finely minced
salted butter for pan cooking the sandwiches

Instructions

Cook the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the bacon slices and rotating the pan halfway through cooking.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and basil. Spread the garlic basil aioli on each slice of bread.
In a cast iron pan or skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add two slices of bread, dry side down. Layer slices tomato and season with salt and pepper. Add bacon and cheese on top of the tomatoes. Top with another slice of bread with the garlic aioli side facing in. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown, flip, and repeat for the other side.
Transfer the cooked sandwiches to a cutting board and repeat the process for the remaining ingredients. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

Notes

I like to use hearty, bakery-style multigrain bread for these sandwiches so the end result is slightly larger than an average loaf slice sandwich.
You can build the sandwiches on a cutting board or plate before cooking in the skillet or build in the skillet once the butter has melted.
Letting the cheese warm up to room temperature will help it melt faster without over toasting the bread or try cooking the sandwiches with a cover on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the top slice of bread.

Nutrition