Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

If you ever want to eat a sandwich the size of your head, come on over. We'll dive right in and let the juices run down our arms. If you can open your mouth wide enough to bite into it, that is!

First you prep everything. Once the food gets on the grill, you want to be able to stay there. Or if you're lucky enough to have 2 people cooking, that works even better. The Bup does the grilling in our house, so I'm usually running in and out making sure he has everything.

See the small cuts all around the eggplant slices? They're very important. It'll taste the same whether you cut the skin or not, but it's a lot easier to eat if you take the time to cut it. 

Sprinkle the seasonings over the slices and get ready to grill. 

If you have seasonings left after you sprinkle one side, you can add them after you flip the slices on the grill.

Now for the toppings.

Crisp up the bread a little bit and then add eggplant. Next comes Mmmm Sauce (from Mama Pea), swiss chard, and sliced tomatoes.

You can vary your toppings. If you're a cheese lover, use that in place of the sauce. If you don't have swiss chard, use spinach. Some other great additions are mustard and/or half of a grilled bell pepper. We like the flavor combo here, but have had this sandwich with many variations and it's always delicious!

Add more eggplant and another slice of bread to complete the sandwich.

Stare it down. Don't be intimidated. Attack it with confidence and with a napkin at the ready.

Then sit back, sigh a little, and enjoy the meal!

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

Serves 2

1 medium eggplant

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 medium tomato, sliced

1 cup swiss chard, chopped (any green - spinach, lettuce, etc. - would work here)

4 T Mmmm Sauce (or mustard or sliced cheese, if preferred)

4 thick slices sourdough bread

cooking spray

Score the skin of the eggplant by using just the tip of the knife and dragging it from the stem to bottom of the eggplant. Make a cut about every 1/2" all the way around. Slice into 1/2" thick rounds and lay on a tray in a single layer. Mix Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the eggplant slices. Lightly spray grill rack with cooking spray and cook eggplant slices for about 5 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear. Meanwhile, toast bread on the top rack of the grill. Assemble sandwiches, layering 1 slice of bread, 2-3 eggplant slices, Mmmm Sauce, swiss chard, tomato, another 2-3 eggplant slices, and 1 slice of bread. There may be a few eggplant slices remaining, depending on the size of the eggplant. If so, serve on the side or reserve for future use.