Eggplant Parm Sandwich

5 from 1 vote

Craving the comfort of a saucy, gooey sub shop sandwich? Try this easy eggplant parm sandwich recipe - it hits the spot every time.

Servings sandwiches

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Equipment

Frying pan
Kitchen torch optional

Ingredients

1 small eggplant peeled and sliced into quarter-inch thick rounds
1 large egg
⅔ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 6-inch sub rolls
⅔ cup marinara sauce
½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
Vegetable oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Peel and slice the eggplant into quarter-inch thick slices.
Then, set up your dredging station. In one shallow dish, combine egg with a splash of water and whisk until beaten well. Fill a separate shallow dish with the breadcrumbs.
Add about a quarter inch of vegetable oil to a large frying pan and preheat over medium-high heat before dredging the eggplant.
Now, dredge the eggplant slices:
Working with one slice at a time, first coat fully in egg, then coat evenly in breadcrumbs, making sure to let excess egg drip off the eggplant before transferring it to the breadcrumbs. Lay the slices in a single layer on a plate or parchment lined baking sheet as you finish coating them.
Once the oil is hot and all the eggplant has been coated, fry the eggplant in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2 minutes per side, but keep an eye on it and look for a nice golden brown crisp to indicate when you should flip or take the slices out of the pan.
Drain fried eggplant on a paper towel lined plate and continue working in batches until all the eggplant has been fried. Top off the oil in the pan as needed to maintain about a quarter inch of depth. After adding more oil, wait a few minutes before adding the next batch of eggplant so that the oil can come up to temperature.
Heat up the marinara sauce in the microwave until hot, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Finally, build your eggplant parm sub. Layer 5 or 6 slices of eggplant across each sub roll, top generously with the marinara sauce, then top with plenty of shredded mozzarella and freshly grated parmesan.
Optionally broil the sandwich on low for a few minutes, or use a kitchen torch, to melt the cheese. Serve hot.

Notes

Marinara sauce: Use your favorite marinara sauce, or even pizza sauce, for these sandwiches. Store bought or homemade, it doesn’t matter! We like to use our easy pizza sauce since we always have a stash ready to go in our freezer.

Frying eggplant: A small pair of tongs and a small spatula work great for flipping the eggplant slices without breaking them or pulling the coating off. Make sure to flip them carefully so you don’t splash hot oil.

Serving suggestions: Serve eggplant parm sandwiches with dressed greens or salad for a healthier side, or with waffle fries if you're craving extra comfort!

Scaling: If you're looking to make eggplant parm sandwiches for more than a few people, we recommend checking out our baked eggplant parmesan recipe here to prepare a large batch that can be served on sub rolls.

Storing leftover fried eggplant: You may end up with some leftover fried eggplant, depending on the size of the eggplant and your sub rolls. If that's the case, you can easily store leftovers for up to 4 days. Keep the fried eggplant in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat for more sandwiches, small servings of eggplant parm with pasta, or for snacking. Check out our blog post above for specific reheating instructions.

Author: Nicole Langdon

Calories: 606kcal

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: comfort food, egg, eggplant, italian breadcrumbs, marinara sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, sandwich, sub rolls, vegetable oil

Nutrition