Happy Hump Day!
With the weather changing, I’ve been all about casseroles and oven baked meals lately. After avoiding my oven for the past few months since it heats up the house so much, it’s been fun to start using it again. So, to kick off the season of scrumptious casseroles and comfort food, I decided to take a stab at a healthier (and quicker) version of eggplant Parmesan. Instead of frying the eggplant as a typical recipe would call for, I baked it and I couldn’t have been happier with the result! Keenan and my husband LOVED it and immediately told me that I needed to make it again and again! I even made one for my parents’ last weekend and they loved it, too.
So, for this What I Ate Wednesday, I thought I’d share my Quick and Healthy Eggplant Parmesan recipe, perfect for a week night or on a Sunday, so you can enjoy the leftovers for lunches or dinners throughout the week!
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized eggplants (thinly sliced)
- 4-5 cups any pasta sauce (I like to use my own)
- 2-3 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1-2 cups Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- handful of fresh basil (diced)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (and more for greasing baking dish)
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.
- Place sliced eggplant on baking sheets and drizzle olive oil on each slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned.
- Meanwhile grease a 9 X 13 baking dish with olive oil.
- Spread 1 cup of pasta sauce on bottom of baking dish. Add a layer of baked eggplant on top of sauce. Cover with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of diced basil.
- Next, add a cup of pasta sauce on top of cheese and repeat layers starting with eggplant, cheeses, basil and sauce until you use up all of your supplies.
- For the final layer, make sure to have enough sauce to coat eggplant well and top with cheeses, basil and then breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Enjoy with a nice green salad!
Notes
I like my eggplant Parmesan to be really cheesy (which adds more protein) and have a lot of sauce, so I always use more pasta sauce and cheese than I think, so adjust according to your liking.
Thank you, Jenn, for hosting another lovely WIAW! Be sure to check out her blog for all of her delicious eats and recipes!
Questions:
What is your favorite Fall/Winter comfort food?
What is your favorite casserole?
Favrorite fall food would be homemade pumpkin gnocchi, or my moms lasagna. Two meals I can’t live w/o 🙂
Ooh, both sound delicious!! I love pumpkin gnocchi.
great recipe! I LOVE eggplant!
Thank you!