Caprese Salad Sandwich

I threw these together last week for my kids' teachers and they were a hit, so I thought I would share!!  Start with some good sourdough bread, homemade or purchased for a bakery.  I also used whole grain, which worked fine, so really I think you can choose your favorite bread here.  Liberally spread both slices of toasted bread with EVOO.

Now, layer thick slices of tomato and top with fresh cracked pepper.  Resist the temptation to add the salt now because it will draw out the moisture in the tomatoes.  

Next, layer thick slices of mozzarella.  I would make them long slices.  Don't slice them into little circles as in the following picture.  I didn't realize until I got home that I bought pre sliced mozzarella, but they kept falling out.  Top the cheese layer with large leaves of basil (do not substitute dried here).

Now is the time for salt and a very slight sprinkling of balsamic vinegar.  I stress the word slight because the vinegar packs a lot of flavor, plus you don't want it dripping out.

Now you could stop there for a vegetarian sandwich, which I did on one.  However, to the others I added pancetta that I fried so it was nice and crispy.  A little note here, I had to add olive oil when frying the pancetta because there was not a lot of fat in the slices I had.  

Top with another slice of EVOO slathered bread and viola!!  There you have it.  Super easy!!  Super tasty!!  

Here is the version with wheat bread.  The slices were much smaller so I added an extra slice of bread and separated the pancetta in the top layer.  

For the teachers I served it with potato chips, fresh fruit (not pictured) and thick slices of chocolate chunk banana bread.