The bread in this sandwich is hollowed out slightly to make more room for the fabulous filling. Vegetables are roasted, then layered on the bread with fresh mozzarella and Dried Tomato Pesto and grilled until the cheese is melty and the bread toasted and crisp. It’s special enough to serve to company perfect for a late-summer supper on the porch with a glass of chilled white wine.
Ingredients
- 1 large Vidalia onion, peeled, halved, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- ¼ cup garlic-flavor olive oil
- 1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
- 1 large zucchini, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 (1-pound) baguette
- 1 recipe Dried Tomato Pesto
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl toss onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil to coat each piece with olive oil. Transfer onion to one of the baking sheets. In same bowl toss sweet pepper with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place on same baking sheet. Roast onion and pepper on the upper rack for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, coat zucchini and eggplant with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; arrange on the second baking sheet. Place in oven with first baking sheet. Roast all the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, turning vegetables every 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Preheat an electric sandwich press or covered indoor grill. (Or heat a nonstick grill pan or large skillet over medium heat.) Slice the baguette in half lengthwise. Hollow out the soft centers of both halves. Spread cut sides of the baguette evenly with Dried Tomato Pesto. Carefully arrange zucchini in the bottom half. Add layers of sweet pepper, eggplant, basil leaves, and onion. Arrange mozzarella evenly over the vegetables.
- Add baguette top. Reposition vegetables back into the loaf if necessary. Cut in half crosswise.
- Place loaf halves (1 at a time if necessary) in the sandwich press or indoor grill; cover and cook about 6 minutes or until cheese melts and bread is toasted. (Or place sandwiches on grill pan or skillet. Weight sandwiches with another skillet. Grill about 3 minutes or until bread is toasted. Turn sandwiches over, weight them down, and grill until second side is toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.) Using a serrated knife, carefully cut each loaf half crosswise into 2 to 3 sandwiches.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 510 kcal Calories from Fat: 243 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 27 g 77% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Cholesterol 30 mg 10% |
Sodium 718 mg 12% |
carbohydrates 49 g 38% |
Dietary Fiber 5 g 13% |
Protein 15 g 30% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |
