Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches
These heavenly Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches make for an easy and delicious hot lunch.
Crispy fried eggplant is layered on a ciabatta roll with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, marinara sauce, and fresh basil.
I get the convenience of a simple PB&J, but I LOVE the more elaborate sandwiches. Especially the hot and cheesy ones!
Thanks to a local NYC restaurant called Parm, I recently fell into a TOTAL sandwich craze. Remember this Italian Club Sandwich I posted a month back? That was a recreation of a Parm sandwich.
And today we will tackle another pick from their menu, the Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich.
Chicken Parmesan is one of the most loved recipes on this earth, but personally I love Eggplant Parmesan even more, and always have.
There’s something about that crispy eggplant texture that I can’t get enough of.
And let me say, even eggplant haters love this sandwich.
My husband has never been an eggplant fan but totally devoured these.
When my husband saw me editing these photos he said, “I want to eat another sandwich.” When I told him to go ahead and eat another one, he said “but my belly is still full from the last two.”
They’re so good.
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches:
The first thing you want to do is slice up a couple eggplants into disks:
Make sure you pick firm eggplants from the store, that don’t have any indentations in them.
A quick note on “draining” the eggplants: If you have the time, go ahead and salt the eggplants and let them sit for 30 minutes to drain, then brush the excess salt and moisture off with paper towel. If you don’t have the time, I found that in this recipe you can get away with not salting them and letting them sit.
Make the bread crumb mixture by combining panko, oregano, and garlic powder:
In another two bowls, add flour to one, and eggs in another:
Dip each eggplant slice into the flour:
Then into the egg:
Then into the bread crumbs:
Fry the eggplant in batches for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown:
To assemble each sandwich, slice a ciabatta roll in half and lay on a few crispy eggplant slices, seasoned with salt and pepper:
Add a layer of grated parmesan cheese, then a layer of marinara sauce:
Then add sliced fresh mozzarella, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil:
Sprinkle the mozzarella with salt and pepper, then put the top piece of bread on.
Bake the sandwich(es) in a 350F oven for 10 minutes, so the ciabatta can toast nicely and the mozzarella cheese melts.
Then you can stick a few basil leaves inside the sandwich, for a final touch:
These definitely qualify to be a meal on their own, but you can also add a side salad like Zucchini Ribbon Salad or Kale Salad. Enjoy!
Lasagna is another one of my favorite recipes that has a similar flavor profile. Leftovers keep beautifully too!
Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Eggplant Parmesan:
- 2 medium eggplants (about 2.5 lbs)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 eggs
- olive oil for frying
- salt
- pepper
For Sandwich Assembly:
- 6 ciabatta rolls
- 1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce (I love Rao's)
- 1 lb ball of fresh mozzarella sliced thinly
- olive oil for drizzling
- fresh basil leaves
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Slice the eggplants into ½” thick disks. If you have the time, season the slices with salt and set aside on rack to “drain” for 30 minutes. Wipe the salt and excess moisture off with paper towel. If you don’t have the time, you can get away with not doing this step, but you’ll need to season the eggplant more aggressively in later steps.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Place the flour in a dredging bowl. Place the panko, oregano, and garlic powder in another dredging bowl, and stir to combine. In a third bowl, whisk together the eggs with a pinch of salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of water.
- Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, shake off the excess, then in the egg, shake off the excess, then into the panko bread crumbs. Set aside.
- Heat up a skillet over medium heat, and fill with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan about ¼” up. Place a single layer of eggplant slices into the skillet and fry for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Make sure to watch that the eggplant slices aren’t burning, and adjust the heat up or down as needed.
- Place the fried eggplant slices on a tray, season with salt and pepper, then keep in the warm oven while you finish frying all batches of eggplant. Add more olive oil to the skillet as needed.
- When you’re done frying all the eggplant, remove the eggplant from the oven and increase the temperature to 350 degrees F.
- To assemble each sandwich, slice a ciabatta roll in half, then put on a single layer of eggplant slices. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then add a couple spoonfuls of grated parmesan, then a couple spoonfuls of marinara sauce, then a single layer of sliced mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil, then put the top of the sandwich on and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melty. Tuck a few basil leaves into each sandwich, then enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in January 2019. Originally published February 2016.
13 Comments on “Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches”
I made these twice this week…1st time a is but 2nd time I was short on ingredients. The 2nd time I also trimmed off the skin..hubby said it was too chewy with skin and I salted and let sit for a few hours.
I used fresh basil 1st time – pesto 2nd time as I was out of basil.
Baked in oven misted with olive oil rather than fried 2nd time..turned out great.
And used greyere as I was out of mozzarella. 🙁
Loved it both times…actually preferred the 2nd time..eggplant was more tender and pesto was great addition.
Thanks for a great recipe..pretty fool proof – as evidenced by my changes due to not checking my pantry!!!
I am hoping to make this for a party. Is there any portion that can be made the night before?
Great party food, these are so good! That’s a tough call on the make-ahead aspect, as I’m concerned the eggplant coating would get soggy overnight. Unfortunately I haven’t actually tested this, but my guess is it’s probably not worth it to make ahead beyond just cutting and measuring things out. So maybe you could cut the eggplant, cut the mozzarella, cut the ciabatta, put the other ingredients in bowls, etc.
This recipe is AMAZING! I got some fresh eggplant from the farmers market and didnt need to get much else from the store. I didnt have enough panko but I used half panko and half italian seasoning and omitted the dry oregano and garlic powder. I like to cut my eggplant a little bit thinner, so I cut about 1/4 inch instead of a half. I will be sharing your recipe!
More work than the usual sandwich but was so worth it.
Oh this looks fantastic!!!
Made these last night for dinner. Halved the recipe to make three large sandwiches out of a loaf of ciabatta bread and had some extra eggplant leftover…I probably could’ve made four smaller sandwiches. All other proportions were perfect. This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever followed. My boyfriend said it was the best eggplant parm sandwich he’s ever had (and he orders them all the time). Thank you so much for sharing!
YAY!!!! That is awesome, Emily. Glad it was enjoyed by you and your boyfriend!
I think the small touches like olive oil and basil are what sends this sandwich over the top!
i had an eggplant parm and pesto pizza last night, and it was so tasty! i’ve been looking for something that would hit the same buttons, and i think this might be it (:
Hey Joanne! Tasty and lighter version. This sandwich looks delicious.
Beautifully layered sandwich, looks like the perfect marriage of flavors!
Yum!! What a delicious twist on the classic. These look wonderful. Pinning!