Eggplant Parmesan

My love for eggplant Parmesan started when my father would order it at the dairy restaurant when I was little. I would always eat some of it and really liked it. 

While this eggplant Parmesan doesn’t have as many layers as the restaurant would serve us {we’re only 2 of us in our house and didn’t need a huge dish} you can definitely increase the amount used and make a bigger portion!

What you will need 

2 medium eggplants, cut into ½” round slices 

Salt 

5 cups panko breadcrumbs 

1 tbsp dried basil 

1 tbsp dried thyme 

Ground black pepper 

Vegetable oil for frying 

AP flour for dredging 

6 large eggs, beaten 

2 tbsp whole milk 

Olive oil, as needed 

1 jar marinara sauce 

 ⅔ cup grated Parmesan 

1 pound grated mozzarella 

Directions: 

Arrange the eggplant slices on a board or baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour. 

Rinse the eggplant in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. 

In a bowl, whisk together 1 ½ teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, basil, thyme, and season with pepper. 

Place the flour in a plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour first, then in the egg, and lastly dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. 

In a large skillet, pour the oil to about ½” deep. Heat the oil over medium heat. 

Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with ⅓ of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another ⅓ of the sauce. Spread half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. 

Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!