Baked Eggplant Parmesan {Dinner Recipe}

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I'm always looking for a great meatless meal. Lately I've been turning to one of my favorite blogs, Ezra Pound Cake, for meatless inspiration. I just recently decided to try her baked eggplant parmesan but knew I wouldn't need as much so I tweaked the recipe a bit to meet our needs. And boy was I happy I made this! The dish was delicious, healthy, and the kids loved it!

If you're looking for a great Sunday evening dish or even something to prep and freeze for meals later on in the week or month then I highly recommend trying this dish out. It sure beats the Trader Joe's dish I've been buying (and you all know how much I love Trader Joe's)!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan 

• 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt 
• 2 cups breadcrumbs 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce) 
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 large eggs 
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella, shredded 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
• Fresh basil, cut in ribbons

1. Cut eggplant crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place into a colander.

2. Place colander over a small bowl and add salt to the eggplant. Toss to coat well. Let eggplant "sweat" for 30 to 45 minutes or until about 2 tablespoons of liquid is released.

3. While eggplant is sweating, line 2 baking sheet with foil. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-thirds of the oven, place rimmed baking sheets on both racks, and heat oven to 425 degrees F.

4. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and salt & pepper together in a shallow baking dish. Add egg to another dish and whisk together. Add flour to another dish. Align dishes in an assembly line with flour first, egg in the middle and Parmesan at the end.

5. Thoroughly pat eggplant dry with a paper towel. 

6. Dip eggplant into flour and tap to release excess. Then dip eggplant into egg mixture and coat with Parmesan mixture. Place breaded eggplant on a wire rack until all of the eggplant is coated.

7. Remove baking sheets from oven and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to each pan. Place eggplant on hot baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping eggplant and rotating pans after 10 minutes.

8. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer with eggplant and top with 1/2 of the cheese. Add another cup of marinara on the top. Layer again with eggplant. Drizzle remaining marinara over the top leaving enough exposed eggplant to allow browning and top with the remainder of cheese.

9. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and bake until bubbling and browned, about 13-15 minutes.

10. Cool for 10 minutes and then top with ribbons of basil and serve.