This is such a good alternative to chicken Parmesan if you just aren’t feeling chicken for dinner or want a nice vegetarian option!! The breaded eggplant adds such a nice consistency to the whole meal that honestly I think I prefer this over chicken Parmesan! Chicken Parmesan, in my opinion, is sometimes boring and just bleh so this a good recipe to through into your rotation of dinners to help add some *spice* to your life even if just a little bit! The only tip/ trick with this recipe that I have is that if you prefer a crunchier eggplant salt your slices and let sit for about 10 minutes to help draw the water out. After the 10 minutes of basically salt bathing, the water will pool on top of the slice and make it easy for you to dab away with a napkin! Getting rid of this moisture helps the eggplant get crunchier because there is less water hydrating the slice which means less time for it to take for the water to evaporate off or get stuck in the middle of the slice/breadcrumbs. This simple trick added to the crunchiness of the breadcrumbs is just *chefs kiss!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and make it! If you do tag @hanshomemadeeats on Instagram and follow Han’s Homemade Eats on Facebook!!
Thank you for all the support and now onto the recipe! Wooooo!!!
-Ingredients-
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup flour (I used cauliflower flour)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of egg whites or 2 eggs cracked and whisked
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella
Basil, for garnish
2 cups marinara sauce (or homemade pasta sauce — recipe coming soon for this!)
-Instructions-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and while waiting line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices and dab with a napkin or paper towel to get rid excess moisture. For a crunchier eggplant slice do the salting trick I mentioned above!
Next, grab a small bowl or dish and combine the flour, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, dried basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined and set aside.
After, grab a bowl or dish the same size and add in your choice of eggs. If using regular eggs make sure to whisk until the egg white and egg yolk are incorporated into each other.
Now we can start breading our eggplants. First, take the slice of eggplant and submerge into the egg mixture.
Next, take the slice and evenly coat both sides with the breading mixture and place onto the lined baking sheet.
Once all the eggplant slices are breaded and placed on the baking sheet spray lighting with the olive oil spray to help the browning process in the oven.
Place into oven and let cook for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes check on them and flip. Let cook for another 5 - 7 minutes. I put my oven on convection to help give more of a crust because that’s how I like my eggplant.
Once eggplant is cooked to your desired crunchiness, pull out of the oven and top each slice with marinara (or pasta sauce) and a little bit of fresh mozzarella. Place back into oven until cheese has melted.
When the cheese has melted pull the slices out of the oven, now it’s time to plate them and eat! I added fresh basil and a little more marinara as a garnish for mine!!
Now doesn’t that sound just delectable!! Not only was this super yummy but it was super easy. The most time consuming aspect was just in the cooking process so pretty easy dinner for when you want to throw something in the oven and get other things done while it cooks!
As always happy cooking! I hope that this nice weather that’s coming will bring happiness and some tans (let’s be honest in my case burns 🥵) but nothing a nice piña colada can’t fix!!! Keep being amazing!
Love, Han 💓
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