Don't you love my cute new casserole dish? I found it at the thrift store a couple weeks ago!
2 eggplants (aubergines), sliced into 1/4" thick slices and "sweated" (see below)
1 egg, beaten
2ish cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs (usually I make my own)
3 cups spaghetti sauce of your choice (homemade is best, but I'm not anti premade either!)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake at 375 F (175 C) for 5 minutes on each side, just to brown them a bit. Leave the oven on, you'll need it again in a minute.
Assembling the eggplant parmesan is pretty similar to putting together lasagna. First a layer of sauce, then a layer of eggplant, layer of cheese, rinse, lather, repeat. Okay, maybe not the rinsing and lathering part!! End with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. You can sprinkle a little fresh basil over the top if you feel so inclined. I didn't have any when I made this batch.
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cheese has browned nicely.
***
Eggplant Preperations
The larger the eggplant, usually the tougher the skin. I used little teeny eggplants this time around, so I didn't bother peeling them. If you use a big eggplant you may want to peel it. You can slice the eggplant either lengthwise or crosswise. Lay the slices on a tray and sprinkle a little bit of salt over them. I like to prop one edge of the tray up so that the liquid drains off to the side.
Salting the eggplant draws out the excess moisture and helps counteract the bitterness found in the seeds. This process is called "sweating." Aptly named, as you can see.
Let the eggplant sweat for about a half an hour and then blot it with a damp paper towel.
Check out Tasty Tuesday @ Forever Wherever and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed with Grace for more yummy recipes.
13 comments:
This looks really good. My Grandma always grew and cooked with eggplant, well when my mom was young. My mom does not like eggplant and would never cook it. I think it looks good, but to tell the truth I am not sure if I have had eggplant as a grownup. And it's been 40 years or so since I had it at my Grandmas.
I need to grow my own and pick them small and try some. So I will remember this recipe for then. I think I have eggplant seeds coming with my seed order. I thought about ordering some, but then I wonder if I really did order it or if I got scared to try it again. I will have to see.
Sharinskishe
Oops! I guess I gotta come through to your blogspot page instead of commenting on your LJ RSS feed. I are teh smart.
Anyway, I've just started a low-carb diet and this sounds fantastic as I'm kind of bored of meat'n'veg/salad. I'll substitute the breadcrumbs for this low-carb cereal mix ( http://www.empowerfoods.com.au/products/?product_id=6 ) and away I go! Thank you so much!
I have eaten eggplant before that is so bitter. Now I know why! I didn't know about salting it. I love eggplant, so this is so helpful to me!
Oh a quick question, how long should the salt sit on it?
Two in my family love eggplant. I have cooked something similiar to this, but I am going to give this recipe a try when our eggplant comes in. We are planting our garden next week.
YES!! I have been waiting for this recipe to fall into my lap (Thank you!), and I LOVE your new dish! :)
Thanks for the eggplant tips and recipe. Thanks for sharing your recipe and linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
Eggplant is one of my husband's favorites! I'm not very good at cooking it! Thanks for all the information...It was so helpful!
~Kim
Stephanie, I let the eggplant sit for about a half an hour with the salt on and then blot them with a damp paper towel. I went ahead and edited the post! Thanks for asking, I forgot to put that in last night!
This looks delicious! I'm going to print this out and give it a try. Thank you :)
hhmmm..I love eggplant..espically dipped in egg,bread crumbs and then fried. I LOVE your casserole dish!!!!
This looks great. I loveeee me some eggplant. *hugs*
I didn't get eggplant seeds, but I think I will look in the local nursery/store. Thanks again.
Sharinskishe
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