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I don’t think I’ve ever been so enamored with the eggplant! We are major carnivores and have been trying to make more meat-less dishes. When cooked correctly, eggplant is tender and meaty which makes it a perfect meat substitute. I made the eggplant two ways (baked and sautéed) because I was curious, and I included tutorials for both. These Open-Faced Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches were so satisfying!
I asked my friends on Instagram what their favorite eggplant dish was. Lana of Bumble Boutique and Yana P shared this awesome sandwich idea with me. I’m always on the lookout for new and creative ideas (as you know) and I love your willingness to share good things with me. 🙂
Ingredients for Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches:
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2″ slices
1 tsp sea salt
Pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
2 eggs for egg wash
Oil for sautéing (I used grape seed oil)
2 Chiabatta rolls or Torta sandwich rolls (one half for each sandwich)
4 Tbsp mayo
1 garlic clove
1 large tomato, sliced
Toppings:
Carrot Salad (a generous pinch)
Fresh cilantro leaves
Fresh basil leaves (what I used here)
Chopped fresh green onion
There are two ways to cook the eggplant:
Baking method (super easy and best for feeding larger crowds):
1. Preheat Oven to 450˚F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place rack in the middle of your oven.
2. Season each eggplant on both sides lightly with sea salt and pepper. Brush both sides generously with extra light olive oil.
3. Bake at 450˚F for 12-15 min or until the slices are soft and browning on the bottom (I flipped some over in the next picture so you could see the browned bottoms). Remove the eggplant from the oven and set aside to cool.
Sautéing Method:
1. Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch slices and sprinkle each side evenly with sea salt and pepper.
2. Set up your dipping station: pour flour in a flat bottomed dish. In a separate flat bottomed bowl, use a fork to beat your two eggs (this is your egg wash)
3. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium/high heat. Fill it with 1/4″ oil and let the oil heat up before adding anything to the pan.
4. Dip both sides of your eggplant into flour, then dip it into the beaten eggs (the egg keeps the eggplant from soaking up oil).
5. Saute your eggplant in batches. Use a spatula to slide them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side), turning once. Drain eggplant on paper towels. Add more oil if necessary until finished sautéing.
To assemble the eggplant sandwiches:
1. In a small bowl, combine 4 Tbsp Mayo and press in 1 garlic clove. Mix well and set aside.
2. Toast the cut side of each chiabatta sandwich roll until golden brown.Remove from pan and once it has cooled down a bit, spread about 1 Tbsp of garlicky mayo on the toasted side, top with 2 slices of eggplant followed by a slice or two of tomato.
3. Cover with whatever toppings you like (Lana makes this Coriander carrot salad for the topping and Yana adds cilantro). I had basil in my yard so I used that and it was super tasty. The basil added an amazing freshness to this luscious thing I call a sandwich. Enjoy!
Open-Faced Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches
Ingredients
Sandwhich Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2" slices
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
- 2 eggs for egg wash
- Oil for sautéing, I used grape seed oil
- 2 Chiabatta rolls or Torta sandwich rolls, one half for each sandwich
- 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 large tomato, sliced
Toppings:
- Here are some options for ya!
- Carrot Salad, a generous pinch
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Fresh basil leaves
- Chopped fresh green onion
Instructions
There are two ways to cook the eggplant:
Baking method (super easy and best for feeding larger crowds):
- Preheat Oven to 450˚F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place rack in the middle of your oven.
- Season each eggplant on both sides lightly with sea salt and pepper. Brush both sides generously with extra light olive oil.
- Bake at 450˚F for 12-15 min or until the slices are soft and browning on the bottom. Remove the eggplant from the oven and set aside to cool.
Sautéing Method:
- Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch slices and sprinkle each side evenly with sea salt and pepper.
- Set up your dipping station: pour flour in a flat bottomed dish. In a separate flat bottomed bowl, use a fork to beat your two eggs (this is your egg wash).
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium/high heat. Fill it with 1/4" oil and let the oil heat up before adding anything to the pan.
- Dip both sides of your eggplant into flour, then dip it into the beaten eggs (the egg keeps the eggplant from soaking up oil).
- Saute your eggplant in batches. Use a spatula to slide them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side), turning once. Drain eggplant on paper towels. Add more oil if necessary until finished sautéing.
To assemble the eggplant sandwiches:
- In a small bowl, combine 4 Tbsp Mayo and press in 1 garlic clove. Mix well and set aside.
- Toast the cut side of each chiabatta sandwich roll until golden brown. Remove from pan and once it has cooled down a bit, spread about 1 Tbsp of garlicky mayo on the toasted side, top with 2 slices of eggplant followed by a slice or two of tomato.
- Cover with whatever toppings you like. I had basil in my yard so I used that and it was super tasty. The basil added an amazing freshness to this
- luscious thing I call an open face sandwich. Enjoy!
Are you a fan of eggplant?
These are delicious! We made some for a light dinner a couple of hours ago and it was a hit!To take it to the next level, we drizzled half with balsamic glaze and half with sriracha mayo. Then, we sprinkled some grated Parmesan cheese and garnished with a sprig of parsley. Wallah!
Sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad it was enjoyed.
The last time I bought eggplant, I made eggplant parmesan using your recipe, it was phenomenal. This time I made this Open Faced Eggplant Sandwich. I used the baking method for cooking the eggplant and used fresh basil to top it off. I was surprised how good it was. The garlic mayo really helps make the sandwich. My wife wants me to make them again.
Sounds great, I’m glad you and your wife enjoyed it!
Came here for the baking instructions. Eggplants turned out divine. I previously would always deep fry them like my mom did but was not a fan of the smell in my kitchen after frying. I had to bake mine for about 20 minutes. Otherwise perfect recipe, they were devoured by adults and toddlers alike!
Great to hear that it was a hit, Lena. Thanks a lot for the review!