Grilled Cheese with Eggplant and Ricotta

Last weekend we went to visit my mother in Bemus Point. She had me try this new brand of ricotta cheese that she bought. It was so good, I just wanted to drizzle some honey on it and I could have eaten the whole tub. She bought one for me to bring home and I wondered, hmmm... what can I do with this. Well, I decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Of course eggplant goes great with ricotta so why not make grilled cheese with eggplant. And if I am going with this Italian theme, bring on the fontina!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 8 leaves fresh basil
• 16 slices fontina cheese
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, or to taste

Steps

1. Slice Italian bread info 8 thick slices. Slice each tomato into 4 slices.
2. Remove some of the skin from the eggplant, leaving the rest of the skin on for a striped look. Slice the eggplant into eight 1/2-inch rounds.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season eggplant with salt and pepper; cook until soft, about 5 minutes per side. Watch that it does not burn. Remove to a plate and set aside.
4. Spread ricotta over 4 slices of bread. Top each with 2 eggplant slices and 2 tomato slices. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Tear 2 basil leaves over each sandwich. Add 4 slices of fontina cheese. Spread butter over the remaining slices of bread and place over the cheese, buttered sides up.
5. Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches to the skillet with the dry side down. Cover with a piece of foil and place a heavy pan on top. Toast sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cover again. Cook until cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes more.