Have you wondered what to do with that eggplant setting in your fridge? Well, I made the most delicious sandwich with eggplant. It is none other than the eggplant parmesan sandwich. This sandwich is full of bold flavors and doesn’t disappoint.
How to make an amazing eggplant parmesan sandwich
To make this sandwich epic you first need to start out with the right bread. If you have ever had that perfect Italian bread that’s tough on the outside and nice and soft on the inside, that’s the bread. Yes, you can find this type of bread in most grocery stores, but making it will take your sandwich to a whole new level. If you want that approving head nod from family and friends then making this most amazing bread is the way to go! If making bread isn’t your thing, no worries, this crusty artisan breadΒ is super easy! It requires no electric mixer or kneading just a bowl and a wooden spoon. If you decide to make it, you’ll be so happy you did! I make around 4-6 loaves a week!
Next, you need a good marinara sauce. I prefer marinara over other sauces. Now if you have extra time to spend in the kitchen you can make this homemade marinara sauce!
Now for the cheese, I like to go the extra mile and get fresh mozzarella. If that’s a little too pricy then shredded will work just fine!
Can I make this vegan?
You can! If you use the bread linked above it is dairy-free. You can use an egg replacer like a flax egg or just egg in place of the egg. You can add vegan cheese or skip the cheese altogether!
Health benefits of eggplant
Eggplants are super healthy! Check out a few of the benefits!
- Eggplant is high in fiber.
- It can help protect the heart and arteries.
- Aids in digestion.
- Reduces the risk of anemia.
- Improves bone health.
- Rich in the mineral manganese which is good for building bones.
- It can help lower cholesterol.
- Good source of energy-promoting B vitamin.
- It helps to prevent skin cancer.
For other vegetarian sandwiches, meal ideas check out these Black Bean Burgers!Β
Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich
Ingredients
- 12 slices eggplant sliced about 1/4 inch thick.
- 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs Panko style
- Sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese About 2-3 slices per sandwich depending on the size of your bread.
- 2 eggs mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
- 4 Tbsp olive oil or refined coconut oil For frying
- 8 Tbsp marinara sauce divided
- Fresh basil leaves about 3-4 leaves per sandwich
- 8 slices Italian Artisan Bread Get the recipe for homemade in the post!
Instructions
- Slice Artisan bread and set aside.
- Wash eggplant and slice into fairly thin slices about 1/4 inch thick. For 3 slices of eggplant per sandwich slice 12 pieces.
- Measure 2 cups of Italian panko crumbs onto a large plate. If you have plain breadcrumbs add salt, pepper, and basil to the breadcrumbs to flavor them.
- In a bowl (big enough to dip the eggplant into) beat 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of water until mixed well.
- Heat a skillet with oil of choice over medium heat. Let it get hot but not smoke.
- Prepare a plate for the fried eggplant with a few paper towels.
- While skillet is heating dip sliced eggplant in egg mix then into the breadcrumbs, then place 3-4 at a time in the skillet. Don't overcrowd them in the skillet.
- Cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until brown and then transfer them to the plate with the paper towels. If you need to add more oil while your cooking the eggplant add more.
- Turn the broiler on high in the oven.
- After all the eggplant is cooked, add the sliced bread to the skillet and just brown the outside of the bread to make it crispy. Add more oil to the pan if needed to brown all the bread then transfer 4 slices of the bread to a cookie sheet.
- Build sandwiches by adding a tablespoon of marinara to the bottom slice, 3 slices of fried eggplant on each sandwich followed by another tablespoon of marinara, and slices of mozzarella. Do not put tops on sandwiches yet.
- Place sandwiches under broiler for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and starts to brown.
- Pull sandwiches out and add fresh basil leaves and top piece of bread.
- Enjoy!
Thanks Elke for putting out this recipe. I am a big fan of eggplant parmesan, and I make it fairly regularly. I decided this week to make it into a sandwich, and I wanted to see some recipes. I was especially interested in how many slices to stack in a sandwich, as part of the delight of eggplant parmesan is the delicious stack, but too thick a sandwich would be unwieldy to eat. I like your approach of overlapping single slices. I usually partially dry the slices before breading, using salt and paper towels, and I usually bake the breaded slices rather than pan-fry them. Fresh mozz is a great way to go. I also like to make my own sauce, as I tend to like it slightly thicker consistency, and in doing so I usually use some tomato paste along with canned San Marzano tomatoes and some fresh garden thyme and oregano etc. For your recipe I’m also thinking of oven-baking the breaded slices, doing your offset stacks of three with a thin slice of mozz in between and on top, bake for a bit, grill the bread slices, and then assemble, slice in half, and serve. Thanks again for helping me get moving on this, Elke!
Thank you! I hope it turns out great for you. This is definitely a favorite sandwich of ours?
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