Fried Eggplant, Tomato and Bacon Sandwiches

[Diane Lane]

Eggplant was on sale at Kroger, so I picked up a couple. I sliced them thinly, dipped in a milk and egg mixture, then coated with a flour/cornstarch mixture, and lightly fried them. I had already cooked up some bacon, and I sliced up some Roma tomatoes, toasted the bread, and slathered it with some mayonnaise. I layered the eggplant, then tomato slices, and topped with a couple of slices of bacon. I added just a tiny bit of salt and pepper, and the sandwiches were delicious. I ate these for lunch several times last week. Toward the end of the week, I ran out of bacon, and had just the eggplant and tomato the same way, and it was still really delicious.

I picked up a few more eggplants, and this time I'm going to brush them with a little olive oil, and cook them on my grill pan. I don't have any bacon this week, but I do have breakfast sausages, so I might try adding those to the sandwiches.

 

[Bakemehappy]

Can you please tell me about the texture of the eggplant after you grilled them? did they become limp or wrinkly? Would you recommend dehydrating them first to achieve some crunchiness?

 

[cupcakechef]

Yum - I like making sandwiches like that, the only thing I would change for me personally is the use of mayonnaise. I've just never been a fan of mayo, I'm thinking that maybe some mashed avocado or something would be nice on it. I've been on a real avocado kick lately though so it might be that which is causing me to feel like it!

 

[kgord]

Those sandwiches sound very good Diane Lane. The only way I have ever eaten eggplant is in a parmesan which is really good, but the last time I made it, I gained weight so finding eggplant alternatives sound llike a good idea. I am sure I would like these, as I am a major BLT fan. The eggplant in them would make them a bit more filling, maybe more like a dinner entree.

 

[Diane Lane]

Can you please tell me about the texture of the eggplant after you grilled them? did they become limp or wrinkly? Would you recommend dehydrating them first to achieve some crunchiness?

I've never dehydrated fruit or vegetables, so I can't say how that would work. I don't think I'd like them too dried out and crunchy in recipes, although they'd probably be delicious on their own. I sliced them pretty thin, so they were a bit crispy, but I made another batch yesterday by grilling, instead of frying, so I didn't coat them. I just brushed them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and used my grill pan on the stove top. I really dislike uncooked eggplant in my dishes, so I tried to slice them pretty thin, and I smashed down and seared the few pieces that came out thicker. They ultimately had about the same texture as the slices I fried last week, and I'll be using them in sandwiches, as well as by themselves, for snacks.

@Trellum I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise myself, but there are a few dishes I like it in, and BLTs are one, which is why I used it on these sandwiches. I don't use an excessive amount, just enough to add some moisture, and I'm sure mashed avocado would suffice. I love avocados as well, and usually just eat them sliced with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

I think the eggplant would be great in BLTs, @kgord, I'd definitely add some to mine if I had it on hand. I actually made these because I was craving a BLT, but had no lettuce, and I'm all in favor of stuffing veggies into various dishes to punch up the nutrition.