Grilled Fontina and Eggplant Caviar Panini
Eggplant caviar is a delicious spread that can also be used as a dip.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant cut in half
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 12 slices sourdough bread
- 6 oz fontina cheese, sliced or more
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
To Make the Eggplant Caviar
- Pre-heat oven to 400°
- Place eggplant halves cut-side-up in a roasting pan
- Brush with 2 tbsp of olive oil
- sprinkle with salt
- Roast for 15-20 minutes
- Let cool slightly
- Place in a food processor along with the balsamic vinegar, garlic, the rest of the olive oil, and pepper
- Blend until smooth
- Adjust seasoning
To Make the Sandwiches
- Place cheese on 2 slices of bread top with 2 tablespoons of the eggplant caviar per sandwich
- Add the top slices of bread. Pro tip: I like to add a extra cheese on top of the eggplant so the top slice of bread sticks better. (And of course it's cheesier too!)
- Heat up your Panini press (or George Foreman grill)
- Add panini one at a time, and grill until cheese is melted
Notes
If you don't have a panini press or grill, a frying pan with butter will work.
I've found that the George Forman Grill is an easy way to make grilled cheese sandwiches with almost no mess and no burning!
Nutritional Information
The numbers below are for the entire batch of eggplant caviar. Your sandwich only takes 4 tablespoons out of the batch.Nutrition
Calories: 2683kcalCarbohydrates: 476gProtein: 106gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 6072mgPotassium: 1265mgFiber: 22gSugar: 46gVitamin A: 277IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 638mgIron: 36mg
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