Eggplant Parmesan

Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Perhaps my favorite dish of all time is Eggplant Parmesan.  Whenever I'm out at a restaurant the first thing is check on the menu is to see if they have Eggplant Parmesan.  Most restaurants do not offer this delicious and healthy entree.  Those that do, the variations range from the proper way it is baked (crusty breaded outer layer with a soft, slightly 'eggplant' bitter inner layer covered with fresh tomato sauce and layers of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses) to what I call 'eggplant soup.'  Yes, I've had chunks of eggplant in a soupy tomato sauce passed off as "Eggplant Parmesan" (I sent it back).  

Since the restaurants down here in LSD (Lower Slower Delaware) are so focused on seafood  and those that do prepare Eggplant Parmesan are found so wanting, I make my own Eggplant Parmesan.  Again, as usual, my version if far superior to anything I can find in a restaurant down here in East Coast Tourist Trap Land with their Sysco Driven Food supply.  Mine is made with fresh ingredients, not grease soaked, and a LOT cheaper (no tip required).  And when you make it at home like I do you will get it hot out of the oven, not lukewarm which is the way I usually have it served to me at a restaurant.  I'm going to beat up on the restaurants down here in LaLa Land again but they have so much to learn about the proper way to serve GOOD FOOD.  I guess I was spoiled by all the really good restaurants that I enjoyed all those summers in the 70's and 80's when I vacationed in Provincetown, Massachusetts.  I don't know what it is with the folks who run restaurants in Gayberry, DE (aka Rehoboth Beach), but they just 'don't get it.'  When I eat out now I do it for the social aspect, I've given up on getting good and interestingly prepared food.  Never once in Provincetown did I have a dish served to me that was 'painted' on the dish.  That's what they do down here and call it 'presentation.'  Hey, I don't need 'presentation', I only need good tasting food at a reasonable price.  Alas, I fear those days of dining on good and fresh food at reasonable prices is long gone.  It is a reality that I have reluctantly accepted as my lot since I have made my home in coastal southern Delaware.  


So here without further ado is my recipe (gleaned from the Internet with a few tweaks) for Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan.  Just a note, I don't fry my breaded eggplant slices because I don't want to smell up my kitchen and great room with grease plus I don't want all that grease splattering all over my flat top range.  And another 'plus' is that oven baked is healthier.  Just another reason I am healthy and kept my weight at 160 lbs. is the same as it was  when I graduated from high school 52 years ago- Yes, I'm bragging (it's my blog and I can brag)

Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Click to make recipe bigger if you can't read it

Eggplant Parmesan before I put it in the oven

Eggplant Parmesan - Ron Style

Eggplant Parmesan is just about my favorite dish of all time.  Here is my version (after many tries) that I find suites my taste of crispy eggplant that is not grease soaked and the tomatoey taste of fresh tomatoes.

In the past I've hesitated making Eggplant Parmesan because of all the preparation involved.  Salting the eggplant slices to draw out the so called "bitter" taste of the eggplant.  I don't know about you, but I like that "edgy" or "sharp" taste of eggplant.  To me that's what makes it eggplant.  Plus, when you salted the eggplant, you had to use paper towels to draw the excess water out.  That was just too much trouble for me to achieve what results?  Because the cookbook said it or some other cook didn't like the taste of eggplant? 

My recipe is much easier than the standard preparation of eggplant.  I just wash the eggplant, slice off the top, and then slice the eggplant into about 16 pieces. 

I prepare two bowls (or pie plates if you prefer) for dipping the eggplant slices into:

First - the egg mixture
Second - the Panko breaded mixture

Place all the breaded slices in a 21 x 13 x 1 1/2 tin foil pan which has been sprayed with olive oil and place in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake about 45 minutes, or until eggplants slices are browned and tender.  You can turn over the eggplants slices once during the baking cycle if you prefer to achieve browning of both sides of the eggplant. 

Take out of the oven and top with the crushed tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and return to the oven and bak another 10 minutes until the cheese begins to brown on top.

Ron’s Eggplant Parmesan

1 ½ cups Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs-Italian Style (Progresso brand)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
5 eggs
2 28 oz cans Chunky Crushed tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano (Furmano’s brand)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 large eggplant, about 1 ½ lbs cut into ½ inch slices (about 16 slices)



1) Heat oven to 400 degrees
2) Spray 21 X 13 X 1 1/12 aluminum pan with olive oil
3) In a large bowl, mix together Panko, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper.
4) In another bowl beat the 5 eggs
5) Dip each slice of eggplant into egg mixture, then into Panko mixture, coating both sides
6) Place eggplant in prepared baking pan
7) Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, turning once, until brown and tender


After baking, take out of oven and spoon crush tomatoes over slices and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes until mozzarella cheese is browned.

Note: Do not cover pan or else the eggplant slices will get soggy. The individual eggplant patties freeze well. Place in separate Zip-Loc bags. Leftover eggplant patties that are not frozen also reheat well in the microwave. Enjoy!

Note:  when reheating in microwave, can top with a tomato sauce.  This will not make the eggplant patty soggy reheated this way.

Serve with oven baked potatoe slices (recipe below)

5 large baking potatoes
olive oil to coat baking pan
garlic sea salt (fresh ground)
garlic pepper (fresh ground)

1) Scrub the potatoes with a potato scrub brush
2) Dry with paper towels
3) Slice potatoes on cutting board in broad slices to suite your taste
4) Place sliced potatoes in a large bowl (the larger the better)
5) Drizzle the olive oil over all and mix with spoon
6) Dump the potatoes into a 21 x 13 x 1 1/2 pan
7) Arrange the potatoes flesh side up
8) Grind the garlic salt and garlic pepper evenly over all
9) Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the flesh of the potatoes is browned
10) Take out of the oven and eat immediately.  Delicious!

Dining In

These days I'm dining in.

I have three good reasons for dining in:



1) No one is available (or can afford) to dine out with me (I don't like to dine alone)

2) The food at the restaurants that I've dined at, isn't as good as my own cooking

3) It is too expensive to dine out

I've always like cooking. I'm not a gourmet cook. I don't cook fish, most meats or any exotic food. I'm a comfort food cook.

At one time of my life I used to like cooking for company but I have lost interest in that over the years. Occasionally I'll have a friend over for a meal, but nothing like pot luck for multiple folks. That's not my style.



One of my all time favorite dishes is Eggplant Parmesan. I always ordered this out because I didn't think I could cook it. Another favorite of mine is French fried potatoes. I don't deep fat fry food in my house because I don't want that greasy smell permeating my curtains and the upholstery of my living room furniture.



Because of the difficulty of finding a friend to dine out with me, I decided to take matters into my own hands.



Guess what? I can do it! I now have a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan that is better than any I've ever had at a restaurant. I also have a wonderfully delicious recipe for oven baked potatoes that is so much tastier and healthier than anything that I can buy at a restaurant.

Tomorrow I'll post the recipes of my Eggplant Parmesan and Oven Baked Potatoes.



Now my only goal is to master preparing Chicken Quesadillas as good as the one I have at the Brickside Grill in Eagleview, PA. I've had Chicken Quesadillas at other restaurants but they've all been cheesy messes. Only the Brickside Grill prepares this dish with pumpkin seed and fresh salsa. Other restaurants say they have "fresh salsa" but it's not the truly fresh salsa which is fresh tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno peppers and NO tomato sauce.



Another problem I have in dining out in this poor economy is that the restaurants I've been too have had a noticeable drop in quality of food. I think it's because they're cutting back on their supplies and don't the customers will notice. I've noticed and won't be back anytime soon.



Except for my weekly breakfast outing, I'll be dining in.....alone.