Grilled Cheese with Eggplant and Ricotta

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Last weekend we went to visit my mother in Bemus Point. She had me try this new brand of ricotta cheese that she bought. It was so good, I just wanted to drizzle some honey on it and I could have eaten the whole tub. She bought one for me to bring home and I wondered, hmmm... what can I do with this. Well, I decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Of course eggplant goes great with ricotta so why not make grilled cheese with eggplant. And if I am going with this Italian theme, bring on the fontina!

Submitted by Mangialicious

Published on July 15, 2014

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Servings:

4

Yield:

4 sandwiches

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

1 loaf Italian bread
2 medium tomatoes
1 large eggplant
1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 leaves fresh basil
16 slices fontina cheese
2 tablespoons salted butter, or to taste

Directions

Slice Italian bread info 8 thick slices. Slice each tomato into 4 slices.
Remove some of the skin from the eggplant, leaving the rest of the skin on for a striped look. Slice the eggplant into eight 1/2-inch rounds.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season eggplant with salt and pepper; cook until soft, about 5 minutes per side. Watch that it does not burn. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Spread ricotta over 4 slices of bread. Top each with 2 eggplant slices and 2 tomato slices. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Tear 2 basil leaves over each sandwich. Add 4 slices of fontina cheese. Spread butter over the remaining slices of bread and place over the cheese, buttered sides up.
Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches to the skillet with the dry side down. Cover with a piece of foil and place a heavy pan on top. Toast sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cover again. Cook until cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Cook's Notes:

I use a cast iron skillet on top to really push them down. If you don't have a heavy pan, use any frying pan with a can of tomato sauce or something inside it for weight.

Place on a plate or cutting board and cut in half with a serrated knife so that people can see all the gooey goodness inside. How can anyone resist a grilled cheese sandwich?

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

1108	Calories
55g	Fat
101g	Carbs
53g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 1108
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 55g	71%
Saturated Fat 30g	151%
Cholesterol 165mg	55%
Sodium 2007mg	87%
Total Carbohydrate 101g	37%
Dietary Fiber 11g	39%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 53g	105%
Vitamin C 12mg	13%
Calcium 935mg	72%
Iron 6mg	34%
Potassium 871mg	19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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