Need a good reason to grow eggplant? Start with this amazing breakfast sandwich. That’s what I do as a Central Florida gardener. Eggplant is super easy to grow and delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eggplant loves our warm climate. And I love eggplant! But at times I grow tired of eating sautéed eggplant, Italian style, and prefer to mix it up a bit. I like to vary my diet and I’ve recently discovered the most delicious way to serve up this gem. Meet the Eggplant-Egg Breakfast Sandwich.

I sautéed two slices of eggplant in olive oil, adding a dash of salt and pepper during the process. (Above the eggplant is pictured sliced in lengths, but for my sandwich, I sliced in rounds for a better “fit.”) Once golden brown, I removed the eggplant from the pan and set it aside on a plate. In the same pan, I sautéed two cups of fresh spinach in olive oil along with a few dashes of garlic powder until soft, then set it aside on the plate. In the same pan, I fried an egg in prepared garlic butter and then set it aside, too. I cooked my egg over medium, so the yolk wouldn’t drain from my sandwich. Finally came the bread. I used a thick slice of bakery fresh multi-grain bread (12 grain seeded variety) and sautéed it in the same pan, grilled cheese style, using another dollop of garlic butter. For this recipe, I used prepared garlic butter, but you can create your own by adding garlic salt, garlic powder, salt and fresh basil to softened butter.

My sandwich was layered bread in the order: egg, eggplant, spinach, eggplant and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. I deleted a bread top for an open-faced sandwich meal. This egg sandwich was amazingly delicious!!