An eggplant parm sandwich is a top-tier sandwich with fried eggplant, homemade tomato sauce, fresh parmigiana, and basil. You can't go wrong with one of these classic Italian sandwiches.
Looking for more handhelds? Try our Big Fat Greek Chicken Burger, Mediterranean Chicken Wrap, or Italian Sausage Bread.
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The Best "Next Day" Sandwich
Eggplant Parmigiana is my absolute favorite meal. An eggplant parm sandwich the next day is better than a post-thanksgiving day sandwich and you can quote me on that. The only problem is, sometimes I don't want a whole tray of eggplant in my fridge.
So, I shrunk down the recipe and made it easy to make 2 eggplant parm sandwiches instead of a whole tray of eggplant parmigiana. Just a comforting sandwich is all I want. It's great for Friday nights instead of pizza and it doesn't take long to put together.
I prefer my sandwich on either sourdough bread or semolina bread. Whichever is easiest for you to acquire or just go with some Italian bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
The Bread. High-quality bread is the key to this sandwich. If you go put this on wonder bread, you might as well eat a peanut butter fluff sandwich. No shade to a PB and Fluff but we're talking about different universes here. Semolina or Sourdough bread will be your best options.
Eggplant. Make sure you don't cut the eggplant too thick. You want a nice thin slice so that it fries and cooks quickly without becoming chewy.
Sauce. I usually keep leftover sauce in the freezer, but you can make a quick sauce with the ingredients listed in the recipe card below or just use your favorite store-bought sauce. I recommend Raos.
Quick Sauce Instructions
In a medium sauce pot, heat olive oil to medium heat. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for one minute. Then add the tomatoes. Hand crush the tomatoes or use a wooden spoon once they are in the pot. Bring the tomatoes to a boil and then return to a simmer. Add salt and basil leaves and simmer for 30 minutes.
90% of the time, I skip this step. It always pays to keep leftover Sunday Sauce in the freezer. I usually keep little containers of sauce in the freezer for myself for situations just like this.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Scramble the eggs and add a little salt to them. Combine the breadcrumb mixture ingredients together on a large plate. Dip the eggplant in the egg, coating both sides of the sliced eggplant.
Then drop it into the breadcrumb mixture. Cover both sides with breadcrumbs, patting the breadcrumbs into the eggplant. Flip it over more than one time to make sure they are completely covered with breadcrumbs.
Pro-Tips
- Bread is your choice. I love sourdough bread with eggplant parmesan, but if I lived near a good bakery, I would use a loaf of French or Italian bread.
- If you're doubling or tripling the recipe, you will need to replace the canola oil in the pan occasionally to remove the burnt bits of breadcrumbs. But if you are doubling, just go over to our eggplant parmigiana recipe and make a whole tray of eggplant!
Step 2: In a large saucepan, heat canola oil to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the eggplant into the oil in batches. Make sure you wait until the oil is very hot.
Fry each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Check the eggplant after 2 minutes to make sure it's not burnt. Remove the eggplants and place them on a paper towel-lined plate or cooling rack.
Step 3: On aluminum foil or a small pan, assemble the eggplant in a line, for your sandwich. After the first layer of eggplant, add sauce and parmesan. Top with more eggplant and again more sauce and parmesan. Keep going until your sandwich is as big as you want it. Then add the mozzarella on top. Place in the oven on broil until the mozzarella starts to brown.
Step 4: I like to butter my bread and place it on a pan. Brown the bread and then make the sandwich. You can also just toast the bread like you normally would. Then place the eggplant on the bread and serve!
FAQs
No, you don't have to but you can. Once you fry the eggplant and bake it you will barely notice it. I don't think it is worth the effort. Some people will peel it in stripes for the look. But you definitely don't HAVE to peel it.
I would serve a small bowl of soup with this sandwich like a bowl of Escarole and Beans Soup or Creamy Mushroom Soup.
In Sicily, there are versions of eggplant parmigiana served, albeit slightly different than how we serve it here in America. Typically, they fry it in flour and serve it with tomato puree, sausage, and parmesan.
If you love eggplant parm, give us a review of our recipe below! Follow us at @vindelgiudice on Instagram!
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📖 Recipe
Eggplant Parm Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 baking tray
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant, sliced ¼ inch
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 4 slices bread or loaf of Italian bread
- 1-2 eggs
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Sauce
- 28 oz can of plum tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Bread Crumb
- ¾ cup bread crumb
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a medium pot and bring to medium heat. Stir in minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then stir in can of tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add basil and salt and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Combine all of the breadcrumb ingredients. Scramble the egg. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Coat both sides evenly.
- In a large saucepan, heat canola oil to medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place the eggplant into the oil in batches. Fry each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Layer the eggplant with sauce and parmesan cheese with a few layers and then top with mozzarella cheese. Place in your oven close to the top of the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes. Then place on toasted bread.
Notes
- Bread is your choice. I love sourdough bread with eggplant parmesan, but if I lived near a good bakery, I would use a loaf of French or Italian bread.
- If you're doubling or tripling the recipe, you will need to replace the canola oil in the pan occasionally to remove the burnt bits of breadcrumbs.
Vinny
I love to make this sandwich recipe because it doesn't require me to make a whole tray of Eggplant which I'll inevitably eat. Try this one out when you're hungry!
Lorraine
Always loved next day eggplant parm the next day on a sandwich !
Great memories from my childhood !
Vinny and Marisa
so good!