Eggplant Parm Sandwiches

On a recent trip to Pismo Beach with my daughter and four of my sisters, we stopped by a local Italian eatery, and placed an order to take with us on our wine tasting excursion. Two of my sisters ordered an Eggplant Parm Sandwich. Not only did it look delicious, but the aroma was incredible. Apparently, the eggplant is dipped in beaten egg, coated with panko breadcrumbs, and fried in butter. Humm…I can easily replace the egg, the Parmesan cheese, and butter with vegan options. So, I created my own version of this amazingly delicious Eggplant Parm Sandwich. Enjoy…

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into 8 (1/2 inch slices)

3/4 tsp. sea salt, divided

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 cup AP flour

4 Tbsp. Just Eggs

2 cups prepared marinara sauce

4 Italian hoagie rolls, cut in half

1 cup grated vegan parmesan cheese

1 cup grated vegan mozzarella cheese

cooking spray

fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the eggplant into ½” thick disks. Season the slices with salt and set aside on rack to “drain” for 30 minutes. Dab the eggplant slices with a paper towel to eliminate some of the moisture.

Place the flour in a dredging bowl. Measure the Just Eggs into second bowl. Place the panko, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a third dredging bowl, and stir to combine.

Dip eggplant slices in flour, then faux eggs, and lastly breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on a wire rack coated with cooking spray in an aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch pan. Lightly coat eggplant slices evenly on both sides with cooking spray in order to crisp up the breadcrumbs.

Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and eggplant is tender, adding split hoagie roll halves to oven during the last 5 minutes. (Baking the eggplant, as opposed to frying, is a much healthier option.)

Spread pasta sauce evenly on cut sides of bread. Arrange eggplant on bottom half of bread; sprinkle with cheese mixture.

Broil 6 inches from heat 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Cover with top half of bread. Tuck a few basil leaves into each sandwich, then enjoy!

NOTE: Italian breadcrumbs may be substituted for panko breadcrumbs.