Thank you all SO much for participating in my giveaway. I had so much fun reading your responses, I’ve decided to do one monthly until we come out of this whole mess.
Onto more comfort food… I started to write “Eggplant Parm,” in the Title Line, but then I realized, I don’t really put parmesan in this dish. This isn’t even really a recipe, it’s more of a technique I use with eggplant – or most anything that is traditionally breaded and fried. Eggplant is a lot like tofu or kale – it’s all about how you prepare it.
I used to rarely make eggplant because it is time consuming and I didn’t like to use so much oil. I’d end up using like a cup of oil, and that can feel heavy in your stomach. But my mom gave me this oil spray bottle a while back, and it cuts down on the oil significantly.
Before you start this recipe:
- You could certainly use cheese in this recipe, but I think it’s still tasty without. Mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone would certainly go well with it, but one time I put sharp cheddar in it (because that’s what I had), and it was still good!
- I like to have 3 sheet pans lined up to make an assembly line. The first will have your eggs and milk, the second breadcrumbs and flour, the third will have a piece of parchment paper that you’ll place the dredged eggplant on. You can use two shallow bowls for the first two steps, but the sheet pan method works best for me.
- I put my breadcrumbs in the food processor for a minute or two – the smaller breadcrumbs attach to the eggplant better this way.
- If your breadcrumbs are not pre-seasoned, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of your favorite Italian seasonings (oregano, red pepper flakes, basil, garlic).
- You could make this ahead of time and do the last step before serving. I would recommend pulling the dish out of the refrigerator an hour before baking.
Eggplant Casserole
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 small-medium eggplants
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (I used oat milk)
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used gf)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (I used gf)
About 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 cups marinara sauce, more if desired
Cheese if desired
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Slice the eggplant very thinly – no larger than a quarter of an inch. I like to use a mandolin to get it consistently thin.
3. Set up your dredging station. Crack your eggs in the first sheet pan and mix with the milk using a fork. In the second combine your flour and breadcrumbs. Place several slices of eggplant in the eggs and milk and mix them around. Take each slice out and place it in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure that the top and bottom of the slices are well coated. Place each eggplant slice on the third baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops and bottoms of the dredged eggplant with the oil mister (if you don’t have one, a pastry brush will work just fine).
4. Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes, turn each slice over and bake for another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. All of your eggplant may not fit on the baking sheet, you may need to do two rounds of baking.
5. Using an 8×8 casserole dish, coat the base of the dish with sauce, put a layer of cooked eggplant on the sauce, then a layer of cheese, if you’re using it. Repeat these steps until you’re out of eggplant. I usually have 3-4 layers.
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes – You’re just making sure that the center is hot enough for your liking.
Question:
For some reason this recipe reminds me of my aunt’s chicken cutlets. I used to house about 3 when she’d make them for a ski weekend. What recipes do you make that bring back comforting memories?
