Easy, no mess, no fuss eggplant Parmesan with crispy breaded eggplant baked in the oven, not fried. 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.
Wash eggplants and trim off the green end. You can peel the skin if you like. Slice eggplant into ½" disks. Place in colander, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt butter in a small bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, spices and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.
Dip eggplant into butter, then breading mixture. Place on baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then flip onto the other side and baked for 7 more minutes.
Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Butter a casserole dish (2-quart or 13"x9").
Spread half of crushed tomatoes on the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Layer baked eggplant over the sauce. It's okay if the slices overlap each other a little bit. Pour remaining amount of crushed tomatoes on top. Layer remaining eggplant slices. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes or until you see bubbles on the edges and cheese is melted. Serve cooled and garnished with chopped parsley.
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.