Great tasting eggplant! I followed other reviewers suggestions and grilled each eggplant slice, then topped with fresh basil, goat cheese, and finally a tomato slice. I left them open faced and just closed the grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese. To serve I topped each with freshly ground black pepper and a parsley sprig. It was so simple and tasted fantastic. Next time I think I would brush the tomato slice with the olive oil/balsamic mixture, just because they kind of dried out on the grill. Thanks Carolyn for a keeper!
Loved this recipe- my husband usually will not eat goat cheese, and we had these 2 nights in a row!
Added an extra step at the beginning - salting eggplant releases excess moisture and a bitter flavor from the vegetable. Slice the eggplant as normal, lay on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit for about 30 min, then rinse and pat dry. Then you can marinate as normal.
Also, did not make sandwiches with it- that's too hard to grill! Grilled one side of the eggplant, flipped, and put on cheese and tomato. Never made the eggplant "sandwich."
Next I'm going to try slicing the eggplant lengthwise, grilling as normal, and rolling and securing with a toothpick after they're off the grill to make eggplant rolls!
This is absolutely delicious! My husband and I both loved it. The only changes I made was to salt the slices and let them sit on paper towels about 30 minutes then pat dry. Then I marinated them in the olive oil & balsamic vinegar until I was ready to put the slices on the grill. I grilled one side 7-8 minutes then flipped over and added the goat cheese and tomato slices and grilled another 7-8 minutes. Also, I served them open-faced instead of sandwich style. Thanks so much for a really great recipe!
I gave it a five because it's easy to prepare and I love goat cheese. My diet doesn't allow me to eat carbs so this was perfect for me. Very tasty wonderfull idea. TIP: If you can prepare them in a panini maker it would be easier. Grill the eggplant separate first. Put them together at the end with the tomatoes also. Love it love it love it...
Very good recipe. When flipping the eggplant try to pull the bundle off the grill and flip over a plate or tray. The top eggplant isn't cooked or bonded with the cheese so when you try to flip it over the grill it may fall apart and make a mess on the grill or fall between the slots.
A delicious and impressive appetizer that beautifully complimented our grilled chicken dinner. Even my tomato-hating husband enjoyed this. If you love goat cheese you will love this dish! The robust balsamic and mild creamy goat cheese pair together quite nicely. Thanks for the fabulous recipe of an appetizer for the grill!
I left the tops off and added some fresh torn basil leaves underneath the cheese. Everyone loved it.
I ended up "marinating" the eggplant in the balsamic/oil mixture (I used 3 T. of each along with salt pepper and garlic salt) for about 30 minutes because I had to step away for a bit. I was worried the balsamic vinegar would overwhelm the eggplant but it was awesome. Just the right flavor. I made this on the stove and modified the recipe as follows: 1 medium eggplant sliced 3/4"-1" thick; 3 T. balsamic vinegar; 3 T. olive oil; generous dashes of salt pepper and garlic salt; 1 c. mozzerella cheese; 1/4 small onion diced; 1 c. medium cocktail shrimp tails off cut in half; and dash of Italian seasoning. Add eggplant vinegar oil salt pepper and garlic salt to gallon-sized plastic bag. Mix around and let sit for 30 minutes to marinate. Heat large pan on medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and arrange all slices on pan. Cook approximately three minutes (until the balsamic carmelizes on the eggplant) then flip the eggplant and cook the other side for three more minutes. Heat a separate small skillet on medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and saute onions. When the onion is nearly done add shrimp and cook until opaque. Add Italian seasoning. Layer as follows on half of the eggplant slices (leaving the other half plain as those will be the top of the "sandwiches"): 2 T. mozzerella cheese 2-3 T. shrimp mixture and 2 T. mozzerella cheese. Put the plain eggplant slices on top to create 4-5 sandwiches. Continue cooking until cheese is melted.
Not a big eggplant fan - but this is really tasty! Big hit with my friends as well.
Good but I think it needs a sharper cheese. Next time I will try feta.
