Categories: Main Course Recipes Vegetarian-Friendly Recipes

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplants used to intimidate me, but I absolutely adore Eggplant Parmesan. All that ooey gooey cheesy saucy comfort food deliciousness … what’s not to love? So I was determined to find the secret to good eggplant texture.

Do you want to know what it is? Salt. Lots and lots (and lots) of salt. It sounds a little strange, but it works. And it’s helped me perfect this delicious recipe this simple, classic dish to share with you today. I know you’ll love it as much as my family does.

And while Eggplant Parmesan might seem like a complicated dish, this version is pretty darn easy thanks to a not-quite-from-scratch sauce. I promise it is SO much better than the frozen stuff!

Here is what you need:

2 large eggplants or 3 medium eggplants
4 eggs
3-4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (or make your own with plain breadcrumbs by adding garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley)
olive oil
cooking spray
1  24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1  14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; depending on how thick you like your eggplant (thicker slices = less breading), cut it into 1/4″-1/2″ slices.

Step 2: Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Use way more than you would eat! Get the pieces really covered as much as possible. Let sit for approximately 30-45 minutes, then rinse and dry well.

Step 3: Whisk eggs well in small bowl. Pour bread crumbs into second bowl. Heat olive oil to over medium-high heat to 350-375 degrees.

Step 4: One at a time, dip eggplant slices in egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Place in oil and fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Place on paper towel covered plate to cool.

Step 5: Mix spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, & diced tomatoes in bowl.

Step 6: Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half the eggplant in dish, then cover with half the sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Layer remaining eggplant over sauce & cheeses, then cover with remaining sauce and cheese.

Step 7: Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and cheese is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

Eggplant Parmesan

This classic dish comes together easily with semi-homemade sauce and lots of yummy cheese!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Eggplant Parmesan
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 16 people

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggplants or 3 medium eggplants
  • 4 eggs
  • 3-4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs or make your own with plain breadcrumbs by adding garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley
  • olive oil
  • cooking spray
  • 1 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
  • 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; depending on how thick you like your eggplant (thicker slices = less breading), cut it into 1/4"-1/2" slices.
  2. Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt.  Use way more than you would eat!  Get the pieces really covered as much as possible.  Let sit for approximately 30-45 minutes, then rinse and dry well.
  3. Whisk eggs well in small bowl.  Pour bread crumbs into second bowl. Heat olive oil to over medium-high heat to 350-375 degrees.
  4. One at a time, dip eggplant slices in egg, then coat with bread crumbs.  Place in oil and fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.  Place on paper towel covered plate to cool.
  5. Mix spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, & diced tomatoes in bowl.
  6. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Layer half the eggplant in dish, then cover with half the sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and half of the Parmesan cheese.  Layer remaining eggplant over sauce & cheeses, then cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and cheese is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.

View Comments

  • Eggplant parm is one of my favorite dishes too! Did you know that the male eggplants have fewer seeds and less bitterness than female eggplants? Male eggplants have a round dot at the base while the female eggplants have an oblong spot. And that's the end of today's eggplant anatomy...

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Ruth Soukup

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