Baked Eggplant Parmesan (No Frying)

One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant, as it is so adaptable in taking on the flavor of just about anything and the texture is very "meaty."  Eggplant Parmesan is a popular dish around here and easy to prepare.  I'm going to share my recipe and some tips on working with eggplant.  I hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Eggplants
Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups of Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray
Italian Seasoning (To Taste)
Large jar Italian Red Sauce (or your own homemade)

TIP:  I recommend the medium size eggplants, as the large ones are full of large seeds and become tough and "woody."  The medium ones are much nicer to use and eat.

PREPARATION
Slice the eggplants into slices about 1/2 inch thick.  You may choose to peel the skin off or leave it on.  Different people have different preferences here.

TIP:  Eggplant tends to have a "bitterness" to it.  This can easily be removed and I recommend doing so.  Put the slices of eggplant into a colander, sprinkling a little Kosher salt on each slice as you add them to the colander.  Let the eggplant rest in the colander for about 20 minutes.  You'll see some dark colored liquid which is like beads of "sweat" on the eggplant.  This is the bitter liquid being removed.  Rinse the eggplant in water and dry each piece off completely.

Preheat the over to 425 F degrees.  Prepare baking sheets to hold your eggplant slices....with aluminum foil, sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Beat the two eggs in a bowl and dip each slice of eggplant, first into the egg, then into the Panko bread crumbs.  Place each breaded slice of eggplant onto the baking sheets and into the oven.  Cook for 20 minutes, flipping the eggplant slices over after 10 minutes.  At the end of 20 minutes, the eggplant slices should look a little "toasty."  Remove the eggplant slices from the oven.

Next, prepare an oven safe casserole dish.  Cover the bottom of the dish with red sauce.  Using the slices of eggplant, make a layer covering the bottom of the casserole dish.  Pour another layer of red sauce over the eggplant.  Now, sprinkle a layer of shredded Mozzarella cheese over the layer of sauce.  Following the Mozzarella cheese, sprinkle a layer of shredded Parmesan cheese, followed by a sprinkling of Italian seasoning.  Repeat the process, in layers, until you've used all your eggplant.  Top the eggplant off with more red sauce and a layer of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  Lastly, sprinkle more Italian seasoning, or if you have fresh herbs such as Basil, Oregano and Thyme, that will work well, too!

BAKING
Put the casserole dish back into the 425 F degree oven for another 15 - 20 minutes.  The dish is ready once the cheese has melted and begins to get a toasty look around the edges.  After taking the dish out of the oven, allow it to sit for 5 -10 minutes to cool, as it's very hot and will burn you!!  Enjoy!!!  And all done with no frying and no oil!

If you enjoy this dish, please share it with family and friends.  It's a healthy, easy to prepare meal.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com  Happy, healthy dining!