This is the absolute best Eggplant Parmesan recipe, just like mom used to make it!
Fresh eggplant is sliced, battered, fried, layered with cheese and marinara, and then baked to perfection in the oven. This meal is the ultimate Italian comfort food!
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
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Homemade Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite Italian vegetarian comfort food dinners. Just slice, fry, and bake to perfection!
You see, this meal is funny because I love it so much I actually crave it. On a regular basis. I crave all Italian recipes like homemade pasta, ridiculously good alfredo sauce, spaghetti with meat sauce, carbonara, lasagna, and soups on a regular basis (mostly because I enjoy drinking red wine with them).
But, although my husband and two kids love to eat as much as I do, they all detest eggplant. No idea why. I can’t even wrap my head around it. What that means, however, is that I got to eat this baked eggplant parmesan all by myself over the course of four days and I was still wishing I had more!
Do you have to peel eggplant before you cook it?
Whether or not you should peel your eggplant is a commonly asked question. Like with most vegetables, that there are tons of health benefits to eating the skin. With that dark purple eggplant skin comes fiber, potassium, magnesium, and cancer fighting antioxidants.
When I order eggplant parmesan in a restaurant, the skin is still on most of the time.
Me? I like to peel it. I want to be able to taste soft eggplant without having to fight with the tough skin.
How thick do you cut eggplant for Eggplant Parmesan?
Now when considering how thick to slice it, I personally like to cut my eggplant slices about a half inch thick. Anything thinner falls apart and anything thicker does not cook through the center enough for my tastes. Of course, I eyeball it. No rulers in my kitchen!
How to make Eggplant Parmesan:
- This recipe for eggplant parmesan starts out by dipping the peeled and sliced eggplant rounds in a beaten egg. The next step is to dredge the coated slices in a mixture of panko bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, and garlic powder.
- Make sure your oil in your large fry pan is screaming hot before you start cooking the eggplant, because eggplant is like a sponge. If you set the slices of eggplant in not-so-screaming-hot oil, they will suck up all the oil in the pan.
- Next, you layer those fried breaded eggplant rounds with your favorite marinara sauce and grated cheese and then you bake until melty perfection is achieved.
Is Eggplant Parmesan good for you?
My version? Not so much. But it can be…
Why is my recipe not super healthy? Because I remove the skin, cover it with panko bread crumbs, fry it, and then smother it with cheese.
Sure there are healthy components to my version of eggplant parmesan, but this particular recipe focuses more on taste and less on health.
Interested in making a healthier version of eggplant parmesan?
There are some major changes to can make to my version of the recipe. It will still taste amazing because, well, if you love eggplant, you’ll love different versions.
First, leave the skin on. There’s more nutrition in the skin. Cut the slices twice as thin.
Second, skip the part where you dip it in egg, coat it in bread crumbs, and fry it. Instead, lightly brush olive oil on the slices. Work quickly because eggplant sucks up oil like a thirsty man would suck up water if he were stuck in the desert. No joke.
Finally, layer the oiled eggplant slices with marinara sauce (homemade if you’re going for bonus points) and real aged parmesan cheese. No mozzarella.
Okay. Well. That healthy version is pretty far from my recipe, but I like to give you options!
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup fresh parmesan grated
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 cup olive oil more if needed (I use equal parts olive and avocado oil)
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 2 cups grated Italian cheese mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, asiago
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a shallow dish, beat eggs.
- In another shallow dish, combine panko bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, and garlic powder.
- In a large skillet with enough oil to cover entire base of pan, heat over high heat.
- Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg, then coat both sides in the bread crumb mixture. Add to the hot oil in the pan. Add eggplant to pan until you have a single layer. Once the bottom browns, flip slices and cook the other side until they get a nice golden brown color (3-4 minutes per side). Remove from pan and allow to drain on paper towel lined plate.
- Add additional oil to pan before cooking next batch, but be sure to allow oil to get screaming hot before adding the eggplant. Continue cooking until all of the eggplant has been breaded and cooked.
- Layer eggplant in casserole dish. Cover with marinara sauce and shredded cheese. Cook, uncovered, in preheated oven until heated through and cheese has fully melted, about 15 minutes.
- Serve hot on it's own or with pasta.
Nutrition
This post was originally created in April 2017 and has been updated with more fun facts and tidbits for your reading pleasure.
I like cashews
My favorite healthy snacks are almonds, pistachios, melon and avocados.
I like to snack on nuts or grapes
I love to snack on fruit! Especially strawberries
I like to snack on fresh fruit and vegetables
Love Fruit!
ANYTHING CHEESE WITH A SLICE OF APPLE !
I love to eat peanut butter and apples as a healthy snack.
I enjoy snacking on fruit!
My favorite healthy snack is Fuji apples!
my favorite healthy snack is edaname
My favorite healthy snack is veggies and hummus!
My latest has been kale chips and fruit.
I like fresh fruit! I am going to have to write down this recipe. Looks great! And since I’m a newbie vegetarian this will work great into my meal plans! 🙂
I like carrots and hummus!
I like snacking on roasted almonds and dried fruits.
My favorite healthy snack is pretzels or veggies with ranch.
I love eating almonds and walnuts.
I like to buy these small boxes of dates at rite-aid
I like to snack on carrot sticks dipped in Ranch Dressing !
I love all veggies so a healthy snack for me would be some carrot & celery sticks.
I like to eat fruit as a snack, especially bananas.
Carrot sticks.
I love snacking on fresh fruit!
My fave is yogurt with mix-ins (e.g., nuts, granola, coconut, etc.). I like the smooth and crunchy, tangy and sweet texture and flavor fcombos this provides.
I enjoy popcorn and peanuts.
I love snacking on fresh fruit!
Mango and almonds.
My favorite healthy snack is string cheese.
My healthy snack is granola
sounds nuts but I love carrot stickss
My favorite is a Half of an avocado with just lime juice and a tiny bit of salt.
I like to eat greek yogurt for a healthy snack!
I love hummus and red or orange peppers.
I love to snack on raw almonds 🙂
I like celery and peanut butter.
I put it all in a small bowl and have a snack sampler. It has graham crackers, pretzels, mini marshmallows,1 hershey kiss, bit of air popped popcorn.
I love to eat popcorn a few cups everyday its so good.
Veggie tray!
I like almonds.
Popcorn is my favorite healthy snack, but the stuff I add to it makes it a little less healthy!!
Carrot Sticks
my favorite healthy snack is crackers and hummus
Usually just nuts.
Fried egg whites!
cheese and cackers
I love fresh fruit. I also love broccoli or cauliflower with ranch.
My favorite snack is cheese. I like it any way, with or without anything else.
My favorite healthy snack is air popedp popcorn.
I like apples and peanut butter.
I like carrot sticks.
I heart cashews!
My favorite healthy snack is a mixture of fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
My favorite healthy snack is air popped popcorn without butter.
I love to snack on apples. .They have a sweetness and crunch that always satisfies me.
I love eating whole cucumbers as a snack!
I love carrots and hummus.
That looks delecious. Out fave snack is celery with anything on it
Our go to is fruit or nuts. They are quick and easy for on the go,
I like to snack on air popped popcorn.
I love trail mix for a snack!!
One of my favorites is fresh peas from the garden!
I love all kinds of fresh fruit in season!
My favorite at the moment are Larabars! I just can’t get enough of them!
I love wasabi flavored almonds
carrots and almonds
I started eating Veggie Booty when my daughter was young; the stuff is like toddler crack. She’s moved on to big kid snacks, but I’m still hitting the Booty!
I like Medjool dates with natural PB 🙂
I like pita bread & hummus.
I like to snack on almonds.
I like eating apple slices
I eat peanut butter on celery and carrot sticks with Ranch.
My favorite healthy snack is bananas.
I like to snack on nuts, and am going to try and make beet chips this weekend
My favorite healthy snack is frozen fruit salad with mango and pineapple.
Today my favorite healthy snack is frozen grapes! I think I may be addicted!
I love watermelon! I just got a large seedless watermelon yesterday at Aldi’s for under $4.
I like snacking on raw sugar snap peas.
I like to eat wheat crackers
My favorite healthy snack is fruit with carrots and celery.
I like clementines. 🙂
My favorite healthy snack is popcorn.
I love almonds and blueberries.
My favorite snack is a banana, thanks!
Hummus has to be my favorite healthy snack.
I like any kind of fruit and nuts.
I like hummus and veggies or peanut butter and fruit.
Some of my favorite healthy snacks are fresh & freeze-dried fruit, yogurt and nuts.
Fresh fruit.
I would probably say baby carrots! 🙂
My favorite healthy snack is apple slices with peanut butter!
I like celery with hummus and a glass of tomato juice.
Very delicious recipe. Will try this one very soon. Thanks