Fill a large saucepan about half-full with water. Add 1 Tbsp of salt and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add quartered eggplant and boil for 10 minutes.

Once the eggplant has cooked, transfer it into a large bowl. Add crumbled bread, egg, grated cheese, garlic, pepper, salt (1 tsp), and Italian seasonings.

Using an immersion blender, process the eggplant mixture until smooth.

Depending on the thickness of the eggplant batter, add flour until batter becomes the consistency of thick oatmeal. (This is usually about 1/2-1 cup of flour depending on size of eggplant and amount of liquid in the batter. Note: The batter will be very sticky, so be deliberate in shaping the burgers.)

Add enough oil to a large fry pan to coat the bottom. Heat oil to about 350°F.

Take approximately 1/2 cup of the eggplant batter and form into patty.

Pat both sides of patty with Panko crumbs and transfer into frying pan.

Fry patties for 2-3 min per side, or until both sides are deep golden brown in color. (Note: This step may need to be done in several batches depending on the size of your pan.)

Once cooked, transfer patties to a paper towel-lined plant and pat dry.

Place one patty on each bottom bun and top with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese (note: do not put top bun on burger yet)

Place burgers on cookie sheet and broil for about 2 minutes to melt the cheese on top.

Finish with top bun and serve hot.