Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Tarragon Sauce

 

I think I could eat these Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches everyday. I've made them several times now and each time I like them better than the time before. I've made them using zucchini instead of eggplant. I've made them with jarred pasta sauce instead of the Tomato Tarragon Sauce. Delicious. Delicious. Delicious. These were particularly wonderful because I made them with leftover breaded eggplant slices I'd made earlier when I was putting together a delicious Eggplant Parmesan. I threw the extra eggplant into a ziploc bag and froze them. Now when the craving strikes, I can have warm, gooey Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches in a matter of minutes and with no mess to clean up!

 Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Tarragon Sauce

Recipe from What Did You Eat?

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups fresh or canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon
1- 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggplants, peeled and cut to make sixteen 1/2-inch-thick slices in all
4 eggs, beaten to mix
Cooking oil, for frying
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, cut into 8 rounds

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tarragon, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Dip each slice of eggplant in the eggs and then in the bread-crumb mixture, coating well. In a large frying pan, heat about half an inch of cooking oil over moderate heat until very hot. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil, in batches, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put a slice of goat cheese on top of each and then top with the remaining eggplant slices. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce on plates and top with the eggplant