Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant parmesan, I am the only one in my family that does, so I do not make it often. I decided to make this when both of my girls were gone for the weekend and I enjoyed every last bite of it. It is suppose to serve 4 but it lasted for two nights.

The original recipe has this method for salting the eggplant to draw out the moisture. I did not do that, because it uses kosher salt and not table salt. I did not want to buy kosher salt just for this recipe, since I really never use it. So I did the logical thing and googled how to remove moisture from eggplant, since I know this is an important step for crispy eggplant. All the results showed using salt, so I had to google how to do it without salt and found a microwave way to do it. It definitely worked, because the paper towel was wet, but I think I need to do it a bit longer next time as the eggplant was not as crispy as I like. 

Even though it did not get as crispy as I like it was still delicious, hence why it only lasted two nights. Next time I make this I will microwave longer or maybe, just maybe try the salt method to see which works better. 

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Place a couple of paper towels onto a plate and then place the slices onto of the paper towels. Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes or until dry to the touch and slightly shriveled. If you need to cook longer than 5 minutes flip the eggplant over.
2. Pour the breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. 
3. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
4. Dip both sides of the eggplant into the egg and milk mixture and then place into the breadcrumbs. Coat both sides with breadcrumbs, shake off the excess and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
5. Preheat the oven to 375º F.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet and oil is hot add in 2 eggplant slices and cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove the eggplant from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined baking baking sheet. Repeat until all of the eggplant has been fried.
7. In a large casserole dish, spread an even layer of marinara sauce onto the bottom of the dish, just enough to cover the bottom of the dish, about 1- 1 1/2 cups. Add a layer of eggplant slices to the dish. Dollop a small amount of sauce onto of the eggplant slices, about 1 tablespoon. You do not want to smother the slices with sauce. Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top. Repeat the layers until you run out of eggplant slices. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown on top. If needed, place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to really get the cheese nice and browned. Watch carefully so it does not burn.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

If you want to try the salt method, place the eggplant slices on a wire rack and sprinkle 2 tablespoons over top of the slices. Allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour. Once the eggplant has finished draining liquid, brush off the excess salt.

I got 12 slices out of out of my eggplant and with the size of my baking dish I created two layers of eggplant. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 793
Total Fat		46.2g
Saturated Fat		14.1g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		4.1g
Monounsaturated Fat		9g
Cholesterol		171.7mg
Sodium		2,308.1mg
Total Carbohydrates		65.6g
Dietary Fiber		10.5g
Sugars		14.8g
Protein		39.4g
Calcium		78.6%
Iron		28.4%
Potassium		541.2mg
Vitamin A		4.8%
Vitamin C		5.2%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Table For Two.