Eggplant is often called the steak of the vegetarian world and with great recipes like Eggplant Parmesan, it's easy to see why. This dish makes a great family supper because it yields a large carserol. Due to the Italian flavor and eggplant-factor, it can also be a romantic dinner. The recipe seems complicated at first, but after getting familiar with it, it's easy to make using substitutions and estimations.
Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 eggs
1 cup of breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned, if you want more flavor)
garlic salt
dried oregano or mixed Italian spices
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese (the cheap-o shaker kind!)
spaghetti sauce (even simple Ragu tastes good in this recipe)
Instructions:
1. Slice eggplant into 1/4 thick, disk-like pieces
-making slices thicker or thinner will change breadcrumb to eggplant ratio
2. Scramble eggs in a wide bowl spread breadcrumbs across a large plate
-add desired amount of garlic salt to bread crumbs
3. Begin heating oil in a large pan and pre-heat oven to 375
4. Dunk eggplant slices into egg, cover with bread crumbs
5. Brown eggplant in pan
6. Heat sauce in the microwave
-this will keep eggplant warm as it gets layered in and ultimately reduce bake time
7. Pour sauce into pan until bottom is covered by a thin layer
8. Lay enough of the breaded, pan-fried eggplant into the casserole dish so that there is a complete, not overlapping layer.
9. Add a layer of sauce, Italian seasonings, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 until all eggplant slices are used finishing with sauce and cheese on top
11. Add extra cheese and spices to the top as desired
12. Place casserole dish into pre-heated oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is beginning to tan
13. Relax! Make a salad or pour yourself a glass of wine to enjoy with your Meatless Monday meal.
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