Eggplant is more than a color…

Love, love, love eggplant in any form or shape. Last month I posted a Baba Ganoush recipe that even eggplant haters would/should swoon over. I’ve tried numerous eggplant parm recipes over the years – some fried, some baked, some requiring salting slices, others weighing them down to remove excess liquid. No matter how I prepared the dish, the results were simply “eh”! So when I found a simple recipe for this eggplant favorite – it’s actually more an outline, giving you much latitude for how much or how little to use of certain ingredients – I had to try it. It’s in The Cook Book (1979) from the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Kansas City Section. It’s another one of those locally produced cookbooks that benefit an organization and offer great recipes! I was a member of this group when we lived in Kansas City in the late 70s.

Cook’s notes: I used bread crumbs and liberally seasoned them with spices. I used fresh Parmesan cheese and sliced (with my mandoline) a block of Mozzarella cheese. And I wasn’t stingy about that cheese – see pictures below. The more cheese, the more gooey, melting goodness so each slice as as good as the next (unlike pizza). I keep frozen containers of homemade spaghetti/pizza sauce in the freezer. Let me know if you would like my favorite sauce recipe. You can easily sub in a good jarred or canned sauce.

Eggplant Parmigiana

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup flour or 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons water

Cooking oil

Parmesan cheese

Sliced Mozzarella cheese

Spaghetti Sauce

Combine flour or bread crumbs, salt, pepper and garlic power. Dip eggplant into beaten egg mixed with water and then in dry mixture. Brown (on both sides) in hot oil (you don’t need a lot – start with a couple of tablespoons and add more as needed), drain well on paper towels. Place eggplant slices on greased jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, spoon on spaghetti sauce, top with Mozzarella cheese, spoon on more spaghetti sauce and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Added note: We ate this dish two nights in a row…and honestly it was even better reheated. Don’t think you’re a fan of eggplant? You will swear you are eating anything but!