Eggplant Parmigiana & Garlic Bread In The Kitchen

With fall coming full steam ahead this Italian vegetarian friendly dish is always a pleaser over here- and fun to say! It’s so easy to make and tastes great every single time. The best part about this particular method is it’s baked rather than fried so, your saving yourself a ton of calories and self-loathing for later.

The most time consuming part of the dish is peeling and sweating the eggplant and even that only takes about ten minutes.

Then comes the breading of the eggplant which is simple and kid friendly in case there are any little hands that want to help.

 

I like this part a lot because for some reason bread crumbs smell amazing to me. The eggplant should be laid out on a baking sheet and baked in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, flipping the pieces in the middle.

Excuse my towering shadow. Fill your baking dish with a layer of  tomato sauce.

 

Then the layering begins. Little pieces work great for gaps in the dish.

Sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella and if you like it extra cheesy, parmesan. (I save the parmesan for just the top myself.) Then another layer of tomato sauce and repeat until you are out of eggplant.

Eventually you will end up with this gooey looking cheesy result.

Sprinkle on some pepper and basil and pop her in the oven to start filling your house with an stomach-grumble inducing aroma.

 

For the garlic bread I improvised with what I had and it turned out pretty tasty. I had a doughy loaf of whole wheat bread so I slathered a few slices in butter then sprinkled on some dried basil and fresh minced garlic.

 

Lay them on a baking sheet and they will catch the last 10-15 minute ride with the eggplant parmesan.

 

I don’t cover my eggplant with foil because I like my cheese brown and crispy. For the last 10 minutes set the stove to broil for extra golden brown goodness.

Honestly, the smell of this is so intoxicating.

 

And your bread should be ready when it looks nice and brown. Perfect for dipping in the sauce.

Once you’ve piled away some of this goodness into your tum you will probably need a serious lie down.

  

Don’t be afraid to unbutton those pants and really let loose while your tum does it’s handy work.

Ingredients

Eggplant Parmigiana:

1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced (1/2 inch thick)

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1 jar tomato sauce or home made sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp black pepper

Garlic Bread:

5 slices of whatever bread you like

5 tbsp butter or margarine

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp dried basil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay eggplant pieces out and sprinkle with salt. Wait five minutes and dab dry then flip and repeat on opposite side. Whip the egg and dip the slices into egg, moistening on both sides. Mix one tbsp basil into bread crumbs and coat slices on both sides then lay them out on a baking sheet. Bake slices for five minutes in your preheated oven, flip and bake for another five minutes. Meanwhile pour a thin layer of tomato sauce in bottom of your baking dish. Remove slices from the oven and place a single layer in the dish. Top with some mozzarella and parmesan cheese then another layer of tomato sauce. Repeat until you are out of eggplant and end up with cheese as your top layer. Sprinkle with remaining dried basil and black pepper on top and put in oven for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Meanwhile spread bread slices with butter, garlic and basil and lay on the baking sheet. Put in the oven for last ten of the 35 minute eggplant baking. Remove garlic bread and set oven to broil for ten minutes. Take eggplant parmigiana out of oven when browned to your liking and let cool before serving.

A big glass of red wine with this dish is bellissimo. Mangia!