Eggplant and Cheddar Rice Sandwiches

These Eggplant and Cheddar Rice Sandwiches are hearty and flavorful with a touch of spice! The smell is aromatic and the texture is both crunchy and soft.

After discovering how much Mike and I love eggplant this summer, I've been looking for some different ways to cook it besides our favorites - Eggplant Parmesan and Eggplant Pizza. These sandwiches are unique, but are a very tasty new spin on eggplant!

Eggplant and Cheddar Rice Sandwiches
Ingredients:
·1 large eggplant

·Bowl of water, salted

·2 slices of gluten-free bread, chopped into crumbs (I didn't have any gluten-free bread crumbs, so you'll notice I used crushed rice Chex cereal)

·1 egg, beaten

·EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

·1 onion, chopped

·1 clove garlic, minced

·1 cup cooked brown rice

·Salt and pepper to taste

·½ tsp ground red pepper

·¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

·Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Wash eggplant and slice into 1-inch thick slices. Place eggplant in a bowl of salted water, and soak for 20 minutes. Drain eggplant and soak up extra water with a towel.

Meanwhile, heat a few teaspoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper. Stir in cooked brown rice. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and parsley.

In one bowl, slightly beat an egg. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Coat eggplant slices by dipping them into the beaten egg and then into the bread crumb mixture.

In two large skillets, heat a tablespoon of EVOO in each skillet. Lightly brown/pan fry breaded eggplant slices on each side.

Layer rice mixture in between two eggplant slices for sandwiches and serve.