Eggplant Parmesan Panini (on homemade focaccia bread!)

I love Eggplant Parmesan!  And these sandwiches are awesome.  Nick and I talked about how much we loved these the whole time we were eating them.  Nothing like a good hot sandwich on a cold day.  To top it off, I made them on home made focaccia bread. Click Here for focaccia bread recipe.

Eggplant Parmesan Paninis
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 slices of homemade focaccia bread

1 small eggplant cut about 1/2 inch thick circles

2 ounces of creamy goat cheese

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying

1 medium tomato, sliced thin

6 slices of fresh mozzarella

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Bread the eggplant by dipping it into the flour, egg, and then panko crumbs. Pour a little olive oil in the bottom of a fry pan and lightly fry over low to medium heat till crispy, about 4-5 minutes each side.

For the goat cheese spread, mix together goat cheese, basil, and olive oil until it becomes a creamy spread. 

To assemble the sandwiches, spread goat cheese on one side, top with eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella cheese.  Spray the bottom of a fry pan with olive oil and head the sandwich on both sides until it becomes toasty.  (If you have a fancy panini pan, you may use that, but for us old fashioned people, we just smash it down with the back of a spatula).

So easy! and the goat cheese just adds so much flavor to these. Enjoy!