I was asked to participate in a recipe contest with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. They are on a mission to find the a I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Toast Ambassador. The guidelines for the recipe were that it must contain toast in some form and use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (of course!).
The Story Behind The Recipe
Summer is almost here and that has me thinking about the wonderful tastes that come with it. Since I grow basil in my garden I always have a large supply in the summer. Basil Pesto is one of my favorite ingredients to add a zip of flavor. My first thought for toast was a breakfast item; but since pesto was on my mind a sandwich was born.
I decided on a vegetable sandwich since I am trying to eat healthier. I recently made a roasted eggplant salad that contained feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and fresh basil. It was a delicious combination that I thought would go well on a toasted sandwich. I used the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Olive Oil Spray instead of olive oil to reduce the calories. The crunchy bread combined with the soft eggplant and strong flavors made for an incredible sandwich.
Roasted Eggplant Pesto Toasted Sandwich
1 Eggplant, Sliced 1/2″ Thick
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Olive Oil Spray
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Kaiser Rolls
2 Tablespoons I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
2 Tablespoons Basil Pesto
4 Tablespoons Crumbled Feta Cheese
Dash of Balsamic Vinegar
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Spray 2-3 squirts of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray With Olive Oil on each eggplant slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip eggplant slices over and repeat spray, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
Cut rolls in half and place I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spread on them. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 6 minutes (place in the oven about half way through the eggplant baking time).
After the rolls are toasted, spread 1/2 tablespoon of basil pesto on one side of the roll. On the other side of the roll, place two slices of eggplant topped with 1 teaspoon of feta cheese. Splash some balsamic vinegar on top. Place the pesto smeared roll on top to complete the sandwich.
Tips
- Eggplant is wonderful on the grill too. On a hot summer day it would be better to use the outside grill rather than heating up the oven.
- I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® has less calories than olive oil and butter which are traditionally used for roasting eggplant and making toast!
I was invited by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® to participate in the recipe contest. This blog post is an entry into the contest. All opinions expressed are mine.
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I’m from Detroit area, so I Love love love mediterranian (can’t spell it though) food! A friend in my neighborhood installed a bee hive this spring, so I was considering getting an eggplant plant and trying it out. We love bhaba ghanoush (spelling again!)
Hi Debi,
I am trying to grow eggplant this summer too. It is prone to bugs though. I have tried several times and not been to successful. I am really babying them this year though! Hope you have good results!