Eggplant Sliders

This dish was inspired by a girlfriend of mine who grilled a similar version recently, I thought they were fantastic and too easy to not share. The eggplant is mild enough as the "bread" making it easy to play with them, change the cheese, add more toppings etc. I also cooked mine on the griddle because I wanted the eggplant to be able to cook in the oils from the pesto with out dripping, either method is delicious. 

Ingredients:

1-2 medium/large eggplants
1 large beefsteak tomato sliced
4-5 tablespoons of fresh garlic pesto
1 small red onion thinly sliced
1 fresh jalapeno thinly sliced (optional)
4-5 basil leaves (optional) 
4-6 ounces goat cheese

Directions:

If working with a griddle stove top, turn heat to 350-375 degrees. If using a skillet, medium heat. You don't want the heat too high, you will burn the eggplant before cooking the inside

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch-1/2 inch slices, thick enough to hold the fillings

Carefully stack a slice of eggplant then tomato, a slice of red onion, jalapeno, a slice of goat cheese (or small spoonful), a teaspoon or generous coat of garlic pesto and then place another slice of eggplant on top

Gently set the eggplant sliders on the griddle and allow to cook on each side for 10-15 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and the cheese and onions are melted and tender

(Be careful when flipping the eggplant to not lose your fillings, for the first flip I used a spatula and pressed my finger on the uncooked side to hold it together)

Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately