Greatest Baked Eggplant Parmesan

For those who’re in search of a scrumptious meatless principal dish, you’ve received to do that baked eggplant parmesan. In contrast to many different recipes, we bake the eggplant slices to perfection with a crispy coating, avoiding the additional oil from frying. The eggplant seems tender on the within and completely crispy on the surface. Belief me, this dish is so good, that even the meat lovers in your life will probably be asking for seconds.

For one more scrumptious manner to make use of eggplant, give our Oven Roasted Baba Ganoush a attempt!

This dish seems to be and tastes like one thing you’d order at a flowery Italian restaurant. Eggplant has a really delicate taste, like spaghetti squash. As a result of it has such a gentle taste, it’s simply utilized in recipes which have daring flavors. With layers of wealthy marinara sauce, recent mozzarella, and freshly grated parmesan cheese, each chunk is full of gooey, tacky deliciousness.

Ingredient Notes

• Eggplant: Select agency, medium-sized eggplants with clean, shiny pores and skin. They need to really feel heavy for his or her measurement. Slice them into 1/4-inch rounds for even cooking.
• All-Function Flour: Gives the preliminary coating that helps the egg combination and breadcrumbs keep on with the eggplant slices.
• Eggs: Acts because the binding agent for the breadcrumbs to stick to the eggplant slices.
• Panko: Provides further crunch to the coating. You could find these within the baking aisle or close to the common breadcrumbs.
• Italian Type Bread Crumbs: These are pre-seasoned with Italian seasoning.
• Marinara Sauce: Use your favourite store-bought model or do-it-yourself marinara sauce. This provides a wealthy tomato taste to the dish.
• Recent Mozzarella: Sliced recent mozzarella melts the very best for gooeyness. If utilizing shredded mozzarella, use the identical quantity (8 ounces) and sprinkle evenly.
• Recent Basil: Greatest taste when utilizing recent. If utilizing dried basil, substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil for 1/4 cup recent basil.
• Parmesan: Grating your individual parmesan ensures the freshest taste and excellent melting. Use half within the breadcrumb combination and half for sprinkling on high.

To Peel or To not Peel

The peel of an eggplant is totally edible. Nonetheless, because the eggplant grows larger and matures, the peel could change into powerful and bitter. Folks usually choose to peel bigger eggplants due to this, however smaller eggplants do exactly tremendous unpeeled. It finally ends up being a matter of non-public choice.

Salting Eggplant

Salting your eggplant slices earlier than cooking is a vital step on this recipe. This course of helps draw out extra moisture from the eggplant, which might make it soggy if not eliminated. Moreover, salting helps to take away any potential bitterness, particularly from bigger eggplants. By drawing out the moisture and bitterness, you make sure that your eggplant slices bake up tender on the within and completely crispy on the surface, giving your eggplant parmesan the very best texture and taste.

Ideas for Breading

Set Up an Meeting Line: Put together your breading stations prematurely. Have your flour combination, crushed eggs, and breadcrumb combination in separate shallow dishes. This makes the method environment friendly and fewer messy.

Dry the Slices: Be sure your eggplant slices are well-patted dry after salting. Extra moisture can stop the breading from sticking correctly.

Even Coating: Dredge every eggplant slice within the flour combination first, making certain it’s evenly coated. Shake off any extra flour earlier than dipping it into the crushed eggs. Let any extra egg drip off earlier than shifting on to the breadcrumbs.

Press the Breadcrumbs: When coating the eggplant slices within the breadcrumb combination, press the crumbs gently onto the floor to make sure they adhere properly. This helps create a thicker, crispier crust.

Watch the video under the place Rachel will stroll you thru each step of this recipe. Typically it helps to have a visible, and we’ve all the time received you lined with our cooking present. You could find the entire assortment of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or proper right here on our web site with their corresponding recipes.