Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan
This is my favorite way to make eggplant parmesan. The extra prep step may not seem worth it to you, but trust me - it absolutely is and makes a huge difference. Those who took the extra step did not regret it and I'm sure you won't either!
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| Eggplant Parmesan |
INGREDIENTS
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil, for lightly pan-frying
- 3 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups whole milk mozzarella shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- Handful of fresh basil leaves chopped, for garnish (optional)
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
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| Eggplant Parmesan |
INSTRUCTIONS
- Salt both sides of your eggplant slices and place them in a large colander in the sink. Let the liquid drain for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- When your eggplant slices have finished draining liquid, brush off the excess salt, as you don't want it to be too salty!
- In 2 shallow plates, add breadcrumbs to one and whisk eggs and milk in the other. Dip both sides of eggplant slice into milk/egg mixture then cover with breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Place on plate or large baking sheet and repeat until all eggplant slices have been coated.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil into the skillet. Once the skillet is hot, add two eggplant slices at a time to the skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown, remove and set on a large plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until you've pan-fried them all.
- In a large casserole dish, add 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices (I was only able to fit about 3 a layer) then using a 1/4 cup, dollop marinara sauce on top of the eggplant slices. The idea isn't to smother the layers with sauce. On top of the eggplant slices, sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers until you run out of eggplants slices. Top the casserole with more cheese before you place in the oven :)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and brown on top. I used the broiler for 5 minutes to get the cheese nice and brown - you don't have to, but if you do, watch it carefully!
- Serve hot and top with chopped basil, if using.
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