Toasted sandwiches lend themselves to endless flavour combinations though many use cheese, ham, and tomato as the main ingredients.
To mark British Sandwich Week, I tried my hand at a levelled-up cheese and tomato toastie inspired by one of my favourite Italian dishes, Caprese salad.
The recipe comprises creamy mozzarella with sweet tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar sandwiched between two thick slices of bread.
With the help of an air fryer, this delicious sandwich is ready to eat in just five minutes and is much more energy efficient than heating the entire oven grill.
What’s more, it’s incredibly cheap to make at home and rivals the mozzarella and tomato paninis you’ll find in the likes of Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero, and Starbucks, which can retail for upwards of £3 per sandwich.
Method
To make this delicious toasted sandwich, preheat your air fryer to 180C for a few minutes. I used the Salter Digital Air Fryer Oven, which boasts a handy three-stack of grill trays inside.
Meanwhile, wash your tomatoes and slice them up into flat rounds. Save the rounded ends for later, or eat them on the go, as they’ll only slip around inside the sandwich.
Slice your mozzarella ball into three to five rounds (enough to cover one slice of bread), then set aside.
Take your bread slices and layer one with the tomatoes, and the other with the mozzarella, then top this with the basil leaves.
Drizzle the tomato side with balsamic vinegar or some good quality olive oil, depending on your taste preference, then season both sides with cracked black pepper and a tiny pinch of salt, if you like.
Carefully sandwich the two halves together and transfer them to the air fryer tray or basket. No oil is required to make the bread crispy as the air fryer will do that all on its own.
Set to cook for five minutes in the air fryer at 180C, or use the ‘bread’ setting if you have one (still cook it for five minutes).
Check the mozzarella has melted to your liking before removing the toastie from the air fryer. When cooked, carefully slice in half and enjoy.
