We're pretty big meat eaters in this house. So for me to make a meatless dinner option and love it, and have everyone love it as much as they did, that's saying a lot. This one was well-loved, devoured and made a TON. Not to mention I'm feeding a few extra people around here right now so everything I've been making has been in bulk. This recipe did not disappoint and was crowd-friendly!
Occasionally I enjoy Eggplant. I'll be honest. It's not my favorite. I'm more of a Chicken Parmesan kind of gal, but these Eggplants looked great in the store and I do try to buy random vegetables to challenge myself to cook with something new occasionally. This was one of those days. And I didn't regret it!
I have lots of fresh herbs in my gigantic herb pot I've been growing off the side of the deck as well as a ton of tomatoes and fresh crockpot marinara I put together last week. It seemed only natural to keep using up those tomatoes. With the help of some Panko Breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, Tillamook Italian Blend Cheese and a few fresh Eggplants, I had a delicious meal that weighed about 10 pounds and fed 3 kids and 4 adults. That is a win in my book.
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan:
A few notes:
I used the standard variety of Eggplant that can be found in most grocery stores
They're in season right now so they're full of flavor if you can find them at the Farmer's Market especially, or grow your own!
I picked out two medium sized Eggplants, so that they're still tender on the inside and the skin of the eggplant isn't too tough. Similar to squash, if they get super large, they aren't as dense and flavorful.
I used regular Panko Breadcrumbs to bread my Eggplant, but one could easily use Fried Pork Panko (Pork Skins pulsed into breadcrumbs) to make this dish lower carb.
First Things First:
Slice up your eggplant! Not too thick, not too thin. And consistent! The eggplant needs to bake/brown and cook evenly so you aren't getting an undercooked bite of eggplant.
After your eggplant is sliced, drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper onto your eggplant. Eggplant can be dry if you don't season it well, so it's important to add some healthy fats and salt and pepper.
After that, mixing the Panko and Parmesan together is the key to ensuring a crispy yet saucy and cheesy bite. Sprinkle in additional salt and pepper and mix it well. Meanwhile, beat 4 eggs into a bowl well to finish up your dredging station.
Each slice of eggplant goes first into the egg wash, then into the Parmesan/Panko mixture. Place onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Once all the eggplant is breaded, bake for about 15-20 minutes until each piece is golden brown and beginning to soften.
As the last step, chop fresh herbs to sprinkle between the layers of the baked Eggplant. Below is a quick video to check out the dredging station
Pull from the oven and layer into a 9x13 greased casserole dish. Add the sauce, fresh herbs, cheese, another layer of eggplant, more sauce and herbs, more cheese and done.
Finish the dish in the oven at 400° for around 30 minutes, until cheese is beginning to brown and sauce is bubbling. Time to enjoy!
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