Eggplant Caprese Sandwich!!! A new and delicious spin on a traditional caprese salad!!! Grab in season eggplant while you can and make this!
I’m not completely sure why but until recently, I have never eaten a lot of eggplant. But now that I know how to eat eggplant and experience its full potential, I’ve become a big fan. Eggplants’ bitter flavor and spongy texture taste best when grilled or broiled, and eggplant can be added to sauces or roasted vegetable mixtures. I recently made an 
Helping Eggplant Make a Comeback with an Eggplant Caprese Sandwich!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs
- 1- 2 medium to small sized eggplant cut crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
- kosher salt
- Cooking spray
- 1-2 cups marinara sauce any kind; depending on how much sauce you want
- 4 slices of your favorite bread toasted (I used rosemary bread)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 to matoes sliced
- fresh basil leaves; torn using your fingers
- about 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Set up dredging station: Place flour in a shallow dish. Place eggs in another dish and the panko in another. Sprinkle each eggplant slice evenly with salt on both sides. Dredge both sides of the eggplant slices in the flour; then the egg, and lastly in the panko. Place the breaded eggplant slices on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray or on a prepared non-stick baking sheet. Broil the eggplant for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer eggplant slices to a plate.
- Place marinara in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes or until hot; keep warm.
- Place your toasted bread slices on the baking sheet; lightly drizzle a little olive oil on each toast and top each slice with a little of the marinara sauce. Place 1 eggplant slice on each toast and then top the eggplant with 1 basil leaf, a slice of mozzarella cheese, a couple tomato slices and then finish with the remaining slice of eggplant (you'll have 2 slices of eggplant per sandwich).
- Broil the eggplant stacks for about 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned, melting and bubbly. Spoon some marinara over each serving. Top with remaining torn basil leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from 
This looks fantastic, Alice! Seriously my mouth is watering just by looking at your pictures! I love eggplant caprese and your open faced sandwich look nothing but delicious!!!!
Amazing! How did you ever trick my eyes into thinking this lovingly stacked plate of goodies, was just a sandwich. This is so much more than that! I agree it’s a meal into itself and it looks truly amazing.
I can´t say eggplant is my favorite food, but it´s up there in the list. Especially roasted! I love this recipe Alice, very italian, the way I like it!
Nicely done. I can definitely eat this. It reminds me of eggplant parmesan on toast. 🙂
I’m with you – I fell in love with eggplants few years ago, after mom didn’t have anything other than eggplants for dinner, lol. Now I’m sharing my love for eggplant with hubs – he’s not fond of eggplants yet, but this recipe might change his perspective. Oh, good to know that eggplant is a fruit.