NJ Mommy Blog

I love to cook and try new recipes, especially when I experiment with flavors and make up my own favorites. There are many combinations of red pepper, eggplant, and mozzarella out there, but here’s how I create my own mouth-watering roasted red pepper, eggplant, and mozzarella sandwiches. It’s one of my favorite go-to dishes. It’s easy to make, healthy, and delicious. It’s great for a simple, healthy dinner or a nice touch when hosting lunch with the girls.  Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 8 slices of whole milk mozzarella
• 1 small jar roasted red peppers
• 4 ciabatta rolls
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar
• Generous pinch of salt and pepper

Tools:

• peeler
• sharp knife
• spatula
• cooking bowl
• 2 baking sheets

Instructions:

1. Wash, peel, and slice the eggplant into thin, half-moon slices.

2. Put eggplant slices into a mixing bowl. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Then drizzle the eggplant slices with EVOO. Mix eggplant and drizzle more EVOO. The eggplant acts like a sponge so be generous with the EVOO.

3. Lay eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Try to keep them in a single layer as much as possible.

4. Raise your oven rack to the highest rung and turn on your broiler.  I use the broiler on HIGH for 5 minutes to start. *Oven temperatures vary.  Keep a close eye on the eggplant while under the broiler. Switch to low if needed to prevent burning.

5. While eggplant is broiling, slice open your ciabatta rolls and slice the mozzarella.  I use two slices of mozzarella per sandwich.

6. After 5 minutes, flip over your eggplant with a spatula-don’t worry about being precise. Broil 5 more minutes.  At the same time, add a second baking sheet to the oven on a lower rack and begin toasting the open ciabatta rolls.

7. When the eggplant is golden and soft, remove it from the oven.

8. Remove the semi-toasted bread. Place the mozzarella slices onto the bread and add the roasted red peppers to the baking sheet. Bake until mozzarella is melted and the peppers are warm about 3 minutes. *At this point you should turn your broiler to low. You don’t want to burn the bread.

9.  Take the toasted ciabatta rolls out of the oven and turn off the broiler. Fill the rolls with eggplant, add the roasted red peppers, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and close up that delicious sandwich.

10. Serve warm with a side of greens or whatever your heart desires.