Baked "Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches"

My son loves fried green tomatoes.  Who would have thought?  A few years ago, he was probably 6 years old that the time, we went to Dinosaur BBQ.  If you haven't been to a Dinosaur BBQ (I think they're only in New York State - it’s not a chain), I am sorry. It really is good BBQ!  I really only have the natural half BBQ chicken plate there because it is that good.  But my friends and family have enjoyed all other dishes as well.

Anyway, two years ago we went there and I ordered the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer.  They were excellent, I think.  They were crunchy and sweet, with a slightly spicy dipping sauce.  I say I think because my son ate almost all of them.  Now whenever we go there we must get them as an appetizer.  Even my three year old loves them (the dipping sauce too!). 

This year especially, I have a lot of green tomatoes.  So I thought a perfect Meatless Monday meal for tonight would be Fried Green Tomatoes!  But that is not a meal.  Hmmm, what to do.  I ran 11 miles yesterday so I am craving carbs so I decided to make these into a sandwich! I also decided to make these a little healthier by baking them.  Pretty good!  And can I say, much easier than frying. 

 

Ingredients

Tomatoes

4 large green tomatoes

1 C all purpose flour

1 1/2 C Panko breadcrumbs

1 C buttermilk

Salt and Pepper

Creole seasoning (optional or use your favorite seasoning)

The Remoulade
1 Cup mayo
1/3 cup Dinosaur BBQ sauce
1 Tbs brown mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbs smoked paprika
2 tsp Dinosaur BBQ Devil's Duel Hot sauce
1 Tbs capers, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper 

I normally use cornmeal, even though I read that is not how you are “supposed” to make them.  I don’t care, I am a New Yorker and I like the way they taste.  However, since I am not frying them I looking to get the crunch some other way.  Panko breadcrumbs help add that crunch.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Get three plates.  The first plate is for the flour, the second for the buttermilk and the last for the panko.  Mix in about a teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of fresh pepper into the flour and gently mix.  Slice the tomatoes, not too thin and not too thick.  Coat the slices in the flour, then the buttermilk and then the breadcrumbs, making sure they are fully coated.

Lay them on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Bake them for about 9 minutes and then flip them and bake for another 8-9 minutes.

While tomatoes are baking, place mayonnaise in a mixing bowl then whisk in bar-b-que sauce and mustard until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and mix. 

I will admit that I did not make this sauce because I did not have all of the ingredients.  I used a ranch dressing that I had.  But this is Dinosaur BBQ’s original recipe so I thought I’d share.

I used whole wheat bread and toasted it and added some baby spinach.  I made a quick black bean and edamame salad to go with it and some potato salad for hubby and the kids.

I really enjoyed it but my son did not. He declared that it was not Dinosaur BBQ so he would not eat them.  Oh well, I think it would have helped if he let me toast his bread, but he did eat the edamame salad. I ate the left over tomatoes!