This grilled eggplant sandwich is easy to make and I think you could convert most non-eggplant lovers with it. Though I enjoy the long asian varieties of eggplant, for this recipe the best type is a big round one. I used “Kamo” for this, but you can any large size eggplant.
What you are looking for is an eggplant that yields sizable slices, large enough to make nice little eggplant sandwiches with. “Black Beauty” would work for example.
Kamo Eggplant
Making your grilled eggplant sandwiches
(gluten free)
What you need:
- Large size eggplant
- Tomatoes (preferably beefsteak type)
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cheese
Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.
Mix garlic, salt and pepper into olive oil and baste both sides of eggplant slices well. The eggplant will absorb a lot of olive oil, you can be quite generous with the basting.
Place on barbecue and grill first for 4 minutes on each side. Flip again and grill further if needed.
Grilled Eggplant
Take eggplant off the grill and top with a large slice of tomato (several slices if needed, but just enough to cover the slice) Top tomatoes with fresh basil leaves and finish with a topping of cheese of your choice. I used cheddar this time, but you can vary the dish by using different cheeses.
Place back on the grill and close cover, cook until cheese has melted.
The eggplant sandwiches are great served hot off the grill, but they also make great left-overs, to reheat in the oven the next day.
Grilled eggplant sandwich
If you want to grow your own eggplants but don’t have a garden, they grow really, really well in earthboxes. So well in fact that I grew all my eggplants in boxes this year, instead of in ground.