Crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Golden Panko Crust
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
45 min
Cook
45 min
Total
90 min
Servings
6
Level
Easy
Prepare the eggplant slices and bread crumbs in advance and assemble and bake with marinara sauce and cheese shortly before serving to maintain a crispy edge. Thin, elongated slices of eggplant about 1 inch wide are recommended for this baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe to ensure tender eggplant with a crunchy panko topping. Easily reheat leftovers.
Two medium eggplants are sliced lengthwise, not crosswise, and soaked in salt for at least 30 minutes to drain excess water. Pat the eggplant dry. Beat eggs and mix with panko, Parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to coat the eggplant. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet to help eggplant brown. Marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, with optional parsley, are added after the eggplant has baked.
Place the sheet on the next-to-top rack of the oven and turn the planks after the first 20 minutes. Cooked planks will have browned coating and be fully cooked. Toppings and cheese on the planks should be melted and bubbly; you can broil to brown them if you wish. The main texture problem will be excess moisture. Be sure not to skip salting and drying the planks and patting them dry.
Serve an entree on a plank with pasta and marinara sauce or zucchini noodles and Parmesan-broiled broccoli. The plank's design helps you measure portions of food to pack for takeout. Add parsley as a garnish at the end of cooking.
Why we keep this one around
- Six meals, including one or more casseroles that can serve as dinners and leftovers during the week, saving time by not having to cook other meals.
- Long slices of eggplant reduce the amount of sauce and cheese you add to the dish and minimize leftovers when you make individual eggplant dishes for lunch.
- Breaded eggplant is prepared without other toppings, so you can prepare it ahead of time to save preparation time and add sauce and cheese right before serving.
- Leftover slices of this recipe reheat conveniently because each slice has its own sauce and cheese toppings, rather than having to reheat a whole casserole dish.
- Freezer portions are handy for meal planning. Adding tender eggplant and cheese to the dish makes frozen leftovers more satisfying when reheated.
- Two small plates are helpful for cooking more fish at one time, as you can dredge individual pieces of salted fish and put each piece on the baking sheet.
Ingredients
- •2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds total)
- •salt (for salting eggplant)
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •2 eggs (beaten)
- •1 cup panko bread crumbs
- •½ cup Parmesan cheese (fresh grated)
- •1 tsp dried oregano
- •½ tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp kosher salt
- •½ tsp black pepper
- •1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- •1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
- •2 tbsp parsley (minced, optional for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Move the oven rack to the second-from-top position.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- 3
Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a large baking sheet and set aside.
- 4
Cut the eggplant lengthwise into planks about 1 inch thick.
- 5
Sprinkle salt on both sides of the eggplant planks.
- 6
Let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes or longer.
- 7
Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel.
- 8
Season the eggplant with salt and pepper.
- 9
In one shallow dish, mix the panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano.
- 10
In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs.
- 11
Dip one eggplant slice into the egg and allow the excess to drip off.
- 12
Dip the eggplant into the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated, gently pressing the crumbs onto the eggplant.
- 13
Place the coated eggplant on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining slices.
- 14
Bake on the second-from-top rack for 20 minutes.
- 15
Flip the eggplant and bake for another 20 minutes, or until tender and golden.
- 16
Pour 1/4 cup of marinara sauce over each piece of eggplant and top with mozzarella.
- 17
Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- 18
Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- 19
Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
274
Calories
15g
Protein
15g
Fat
21g
Carbs
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