Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches
Breaded and fried eggplant stacked with marinara and melted mozzarella, built for a bite instead of a fork.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
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Salt the eggplant rounds and stand them in a colander for 30 minutes, until beads of water bead on the surface, then pat dry.
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{“Set up three shallow dishes” => “the flour, the beaten eggs, and the panko mixed with parmesan.”}
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Dredge each round through the flour, then the egg, then press into the panko mixture until fully coated.
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Pour oil into a skillet to a depth of ¼ inch and heat until it shimmers.
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Fry the eggplant in batches, turning once, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, then drain on a wire rack.
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Heat the broiler, split the rolls, and spoon marinara onto both cut sides.
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Layer the fried eggplant into the rolls, top with mozzarella, and broil until the cheese is melted and spotted brown, about 2 minutes.
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Scatter with basil, close the sandwiches, and serve while the cheese still pulls.
Notes
Salting the eggplant first is what keeps the fried crust crisp instead of soggy — plain slices hold enough water that it steams the panko from underneath the moment they hit the marinara. Thirty minutes in a colander pulls most of that out, along with the bitterness raw eggplant can carry.
Provolone works in place of the mozzarella if you want something sharper, and the fried rounds hold up fine on their own as a stovetop dinner if you’d rather skip the bread — just add the cheese in the last minute of frying and let it melt into the crust instead of under the broiler.