I love eggplant parmigiana. And its messy sandwich counterpart? Maybe more so.
But all the frying and oil? Not so much.
So, occasionally – not often – I order an eggplant parmigiana appetizer at a little Italian restaurant nearby, or sometimes I’ll really get in the mood and make a batch myself. But more often than that I bake eggplant rounds without a breadcrumb coating and make big stacked sandwiches.
With my crusty sandwich stacked with thick tomato sauce, a heap of warm wilty greens, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and a little cheese, I don’t miss the fried coating. I get the soft melt-y eggplant I’m after without later feeling ill from the oily slices. A little squeeze (so you can fit it in your mouth) combines all the flavours, and the drippy mess is just as satisfying.
Plus it’s a much quicker process.
Baked Eggplant Rounds
2 medium eggplants, sliced into ¼ inch rounds (you should get about 8 pieces per eggplant)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Heat oven to 400.
Pour vegetable oil onto baking tray and spread it around to cover the tray. Arrange eggplant rounds on the oiled pan and then turn each piece over 1 or 2 times to be sure a little oil is on each side.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the pieces over and bake another 10 minutes. Makes enough for 4 sandwiches – use large buns and load up on eggplant slices.
all food love 