Eggplant Paninis are an easy lunch or dinner, with grilled eggplant, marinara sauce, and melty cheese. Leftover spaghetti sauce, frozen in small containers, works perfectly for this quick panini!
Use Your Freezer!
The greatest way to eat healthy homemade food night after night is to utilize your freezer. I got my first deep freezer as an early Christmas gift and I’m pretty excited! Whenever I make a large pot of spaghetti or any red sauce pasta, I freeze the leftovers in different amounts. Some I put in large containers to reheat as another spaghetti and pasta meal. And some I put in small containers, like half pint jars, to use for flatbread pizzas, or eggplant paninis. This allows me to never need to buy jarred pizza or marinara sauce, and always have just the right amount.
Eggplant Panini Instructions
My family is not crazy about eggplant, so I only buy one occasionally. I usually throw it in with a pasta or grill it for these easy paninis for lunch. And if you don’t have a panini press, you could make these in a skillet, in the oven, or on the grill. BUT, I totally recommend one, especially if you have kids! I use mine all the time!
These quick paninis are super delicious and easy! First, prepare an eggplant by slicing it into rounds, and tossing it in olive oil, salt and pepper. Then I grill the whole thing, which will probably be more than you need for one lunch. Just store the rest in the fridge and it will last a few days for another panini lunch or chop it and toss into pasta. Then simply assemble your sandwiches with the grilled eggplant, your thawed marinara sauce, and provolone or any white cheese. Cook them in your panini press and lunch, or dinner with a simple salad, is done!
More Quick and Easy Lunch Favorites!
- Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids!
- Curry Chicken Salad
- The Summer Lunch
- Egg Salad
- White Bean Bruschetta
- Best Ever Chicken Salad
Eggplant Paninis
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant olive oil salt and pepper
- marinara sauce
- provolone cheese
- French or Italian bread
Instructions
- Slice eggplant in rounds, toss in oil salt and pepper and grill. This can be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge all week.
- Assemble sandwiches with eggplant, sauce, and cheese and cook in a panini press or skillet.
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