Skinny Baked Eggplant Bruschetta

Eggplant replaces the bread in this appetizer from The Two Bite Club. Delicious as an appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients

1 large tomato, diced
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil or oregano
Salt and pepper to tsate
1 eggplant (peeled or not - your perference) and sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices. The thinner you slice the eggplant, the crispier it will be)
2 eggs
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Olive oil

Instructions

In small mixing bowl, stir together chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar\, herbs and mozzarella cheese.
Season with salt and pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle the foil with olive oil.
In shallow dish, beat eggs with whisk. In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic powder. If the eggplant is large, you  might want to cut each slice in half to make it easy to hold. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Press the breadcrumbs into the eggplant so each slice is completely coated. Place the coated slice on the foil lined baking sheet. Repeat with all the eggplant slices. Drizzle the eggplant slices with more olive oil.
Bake eggplant in oven for 10 minutes. Flip the slices and return to the oven for an additional 10 - 15 minutes. The eggplant should be golden-brown and crispy on the outside.
Let the eggplant sit for 3 - 5 minutes until cool enough to pick up. Using a slotted spoon, top each eggplant slice with tomato mixture and serve immediately.