0 from 57 votes
Eggplant grilled cheese with cherry tomatoes, zaatar, tahini and Yemenite hot sauce
The Middle Eastern grilled cheese is filled with oozing Jarlsberg cheese, melted over slices of grilled eggplant, cherry tomatoes and slathered in Yemenite green hot sauce and tahini.Make this a gluten-free grilled cheese by using gluten-free bread. My favourites include Little Northern Bakehouse Honey Oat bread, or Promise Gluten-Free Rustic Sourdough Bread.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 350 kcal
Course:
Main Course , Lunch
Cuisine:
Middle Eastern , Israeli
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 slices of jarlsberg cheese per grilled cheese sandwich
- 1 tablespoon zaatar
- 2 slices of your favourite bread per grilled cheese sandwich gluten-free bread works great!
Yemenite hot sauce (schug):
- 2-3 Jalapeno peppers
- ⅓ cup diced cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- pinch of cardamom
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
Tahini sauce:
- 4 tablespoon tahini paste
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ lemon juice of
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Grill eggplant slices:
- Slice eggplant into rounds or slices (depending on the size of your bread).
- Bring a non-stick pan to medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of oil. Arrange as many eggplant slices as a you can fit in a single layer, without overlapping, in the pan. Fry eggplant until both sides are browned, flipping in the middle, about 8-10 minutes in total. Remove eggplant slices onto a paper towel-covered plate, and sprinkle with salt.
- Repeat until all eggplant slices are cooked, adding 2-3 tablespoons of oil with every batch.
Cup of Yum
Prepare tahini sauce
- In a blender or a jar, mix raw tahini with water, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir, shake or blend well to combine. You should end up with a slightly runny, thick tahini sauce.
Make Yemenite hot sauce (schug)
- Put all the schug ingredients in a food processor with a steel blade and process to a smooth mash. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
Assemble Middle Eastern grilled cheese
- On one piece of bread, spread a generous layer of tahini. Lay one slice of Jarlsberg cheese. Top with a few rounds or slices of grilled eggplant, a few halves of cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkling of zaatar spice. Top with another slice or two of Jarlsberg cheese.
- Smear the next slice of bread with some Yemenite hot sauce. Top the sandwich with the second slice of bread, and press to seal.
Cook the Middle Eastern grilled cheese sandwich:
- Smear bread with butter or olive oil on both sides. Cook in a panini press or in the same hot pan you cooked the eggplant, about 3-4 minutes per side, until the Jarlsberg cheese is melted and gooey. If cooking in a pan, try to weigh down the grilled cheese with a plate or lid or just press down with a spatula.
- Serve eggplant grilled cheese immediately with additional Yemenite hot sauce and tahini for dipping. Mixing the tahini and Yemenite hot sauce also works really well!
Nutrition Information
Calories
350kcal
(18%)
Carbohydrates
25g
(8%)
Protein
7g
(14%)
Fat
27g
(42%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
1mg
(0%)
Sodium
681mg
(28%)
Potassium
678mg
(19%)
Fiber
7g
(28%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
832IU
(17%)
Vitamin C
44mg
(49%)
Calcium
100mg
(10%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 350
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 350kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 681mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 678mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 832IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 44mg | 49% |
| Calcium | 100mg | 10% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.