Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

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Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe – no mess, no fuss eggplant Parmesan with crispy garlic Parmesan breaded eggplant baked in the oven, not fried.

I already shared my favorite way to make eggplant in my Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant recipe. It’s super easy and the final result is a crispy and flavorful appetizer or side dish. It’s exactly what I use to make my Eggplant Parmesan. I try to avoid frying breaded vegetables, just leave it for chicken or pork schnitzel. Breaded veggies are perfect when baked in the oven.

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This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is an easy vegetarian dish for meatless Monday or when you want something meat-free, yet delicious and easy to make. Baking the breaded eggplant in the oven makes this version a no-mess and no-fuss dish. It’s super tasty too! You are also reducing calories by half, since on average fried eggplant Parmesan is around 850 calories and this baked version has about 480 calories per serving.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN?

Prepare one eggplant according to my Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant recipe. You can skip the garlic and cheese and make a simple breading. I just recommend baking it in the oven, instead of frying. Also, I don’t use eggs and flour in my breading but melted butter and seasoned breadcrumbs. Next, spread a generous layer of crushed tomatoes (or your favorite pasta sauce) on the bottom of the baking casserole dish. Season with Italian seasoning. Layer baked eggplant over sauce and if needed, repeat layers. Top everything with a cheesy mix of mozzarella and Parmesan and baked until bubbly on the edges and the cheese is melted. Serve garnished with chopped basil or parsley.

HOW TO PREPARE EGGPLANT FOR COOKING?

Start by washing the eggplant and trimming off the green end. Next, slice eggplant into 1/2″ disks. Place all disks in colander or cooling rack set over baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes. It helps to cut the bitterness of the vegetable and makes it “sweat”. You will notice little drops of moisture on the surface of the disks. Removing the moisture from the eggplant will prevent it from releasing it during cooking.

Large eggplants can have thicker and more bitter skin so you may want to peel them. Otherwise, the peel is completely edible and as long as you don’t mind it, feel free to leave it on.

MORE DELICIOUS VEGETABLE CASSEROLES:

One Pot Chicken Ratatouille

Cheesy Broccoli and Corn Casserole

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

CAN YOU FREEZE THIS BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN?

I do not recommend freezing this casserole as the breading on the eggplant will become soggy. If you want to make it and freeze it, skip the breading step, roast eggplant disks, then assemble the dish and freeze. Make sure to wrap tightly to preserve flavor and quality.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN A DAY AHEAD?

The breading won’t be as crispy anymore but the dish is in fact very tasty reheated the next day. Leftovers have even deeper flavors.

BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN VARIATIONS:

• low-carb: skip the breading and roast eggplant disks in 400 degrees F oven for 15 minutes or more, if needed.
• gluten-free: same as above, skip the breading step and roast eggplant disks before using in the recipe.
• super time saver: skip breading the eggplant and roast in the oven as mentioned above. Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over eggplant layered in the casserole dish, then top with cheese.

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BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN RECIPE

5 from 10 votes

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Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

37 mins

eggplant resting

30 mins

Total Time

57 mins

 

Easy, no mess, no fuss eggplant Parmesan with crispy garlic Parmesan breaded eggplant baked in the oven, not fried.

More delicious recipes: www.crunchycreamysweet.com

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked eggplant, eggplant Parmesan

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 481 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1.5 cups crushed tomatoes see notes
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Start by preparing the eggplant: wash the eggplant and trim off the green end. You can peel the skin if you like. Next, slice eggplant into 1/2" disks. Place all disks in colander or cooling rack set over baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes
2. Next, melt butter in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, spices and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.
3. Dip each eggplant disk into butter first, then breading mixture. Place on aluminum foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
4. Bake in 400 degrees F oven for 15 minutes, then flip each disk and baked for 7 more minutes. The eggplant should be golden brown and the breading crispy.
5. Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
6. Butter 2-quart casserole dish (see note). Spread more than half of crushed tomatoes on the bottom of the dish. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Layer baked eggplant over the sauce. Top with the remaining amount of crushed tomatoes. Layer remaining eggplant slices. Top with both kinds of cheese.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, until it bubbles on the edges and cheese is melted. Remove from oven, garnish chopped

Recipe Notes

You can use 13"x9" casserole dish and arrange eggplant in a single layer. You can use your favorite pasta sauce in place of crushed tomatoes. If you do, skip the seasoning.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 481 Calories from Fat 270

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 30g 46%

Saturated Fat 18g 90%

Cholesterol 82mg 27%

Sodium 1080mg 45%

Potassium 617mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 35g 12%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 10g

Protein 19g 38%

Vitamin A 23.1%

Vitamin C 13.2%

Calcium 45.8%

Iron 17.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.