Easy Eggplant Parmesan

I am Sicilian, so it goes without saying that I LOVE eggplant parmesan. What I don’t love, is the time it takes to make it. As a working mom of two boys, who are the human equivalent of energizer bunnies, spending hours to prepare a single meal, that will inevitably be inhaled in less than 10 minutes, doesn’t work for me.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands and re-create a classic dish with a few simple ingredients and minimal steps. Truthfully, the hardest part of this entire recipe is waiting for it to be done in the oven because it smells so good.

This recipe fills a 9x13 casserole dish. You can either freeze any leftovers or adjust the recipe by 1/2 to fill a 9x9 baking dish if you are cooking for fewer people (I cook for an army - another perk of my Sicilian heritage - so as you’ll see, my recipes will leave you with plenty of leftovers for those days that you simply don’t feel like spending in the kitchen)

Give it a whirl and let me know what you think in the comments! As always, I’ve included vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free substitutes so keep an eye on the asterisks (*) if you also have dietary restrictions like I do.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Eggplants

  • 5 LBS Slicing Tomatoes (Heirloom are ideal but not always in-season. Feel free to use your favorite, large tomato variety)

  • 32 oz Fresh Mozzarella*

  • 4 oz Shredded Mozzarella*

  • 72 oz Marinara Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder

  • 2 C. Panko Breadcrumbs*

  • 3/4 C. Fresh Basil

  • Salt & Pepper

  • Non-stick Cooking Spray

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Step 2: Slice Eggplants, Tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices

Step 3: Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray

Step 4: Use a small amount of Marinara Sauce to coat the bottom of your casserole dish

Step 5: Rather than stacking ingredients, create rows starting at one end of the casserole dish and working your way toward the end, by alternating your ingredients as follows: Eggplant slice, Tomato slice, Fresh Mozzarella slice. Repeat until you have 3-4 rows of ingredients and your casserole dish is filled.

Step 6: Evenly coat the entire casserole using the remaining Marianara Sauce.

Step 7: Sprinkle Garlic Powder evenly over the top of the Marinara Sauce.

Step 8: Make a mixture of Panko and Mozzarella shreds in a separate bowl, and top your casserole evenly with the mixture.

Step 9: Salt and Pepper the entire casserole to-taste.

Step 10: Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Step 11: Increase the temperature of your oven to 410 degrees, uncover the casserole dish, and bake for an additional 25 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the cheese is gooey.

Step 12: Remove from the oven, and top with freshly julienned Basil leaves

Step 13: Serve alongside your favorite side salad and/or crunchy bread

Suggestions & Substitutions:

Here are a few of my favorite substitutions for dietary restrictions:

  • Fresh Mozzarella = Miyokos cashew cheese. Can be purchased directly from the vendor, as well as at several grocery stores such as Giant and Wholefoods.

  • Shredded Mozzarella = Earth Grown Mozzarella Shreds from Aldi, So Delicious, and Daiya are all brands I use regularly as substitutions.

  • Panko = 4C Panko Plain Crumbs are both gluten-free and vegan (some gluten-free brands include egg, so be sure to read labels before purchasing)

Samantha McKeeComment