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Eggplant Parmesan makes a delicious and family favorite meal. This no-fry eggplant parmesan recipe is layered with baked eggplant, tomato sauce and cheese for a meatless meal the whole family loves!
As I was picking vegetables in my garden yesterday, I was trying to decide what I was going to make for supper. I wanted something that I knew my whole family would enjoy. Something easy to prepare, but that tasted like I’d spent time preparing it. Thankfully, my eggplant plants have been producing big, beautiful eggplant lately and I knew just what I’d make! A quick stop by my herb garden and I was all set!
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Not wanting to deep-fry my eggplant for my eggplant parmesan, a while back I decided to try baking it in the oven instead. It still leaves the eggplant with a crispy, crunchy coating but without the unnecessary fat. I’ve made it the same way ever since!
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
To make my eggplant parmesan there are a few steps to the process, but they are simple and yield a mighty delicious end result that I think you’ll love!
I begin by spritzing rimmed baking sheets with olive oil until they are well-coated so the eggplant will not stick while baking. Once my pans are prepared, I then peel the eggplant and then slice it into about 1/2-inch rounds. Mix together the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish until they are thoroughly blended. You can use plain bread crumbs like I did or Italian bread crumbs, if you prefer.
In a separate shallow dish, whisk your eggs and milk together. Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg and then dredge through the bread crumbs until each slice is thoroughly coated on each side. Place the eggplant on the baking sheets in a single layer with a small space space between each slice. After they have baked for about 20 minutes and are golden brown on the bottom, turn them over and bake the other side until they are golden brown and fork-tender, about 20 more minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven and set it aside.
While the eggplant is baking, mix the tomato sauce, kosher salt, and my Italian Seasoning Mix.
Now, you’ll begin layering your eggplant parmesan in the baking dish. I use a 9×13 baking dish to allow ample room for the casserole to bubble and bake. To layer the eggplant parmesan, spread some of the tomato sauce in the bottom of your baking dish and then place half of the baked eggplant on top. Top the eggplant with more tomato sauce and then layer on some mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layering and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.
Once the eggplant parmesan has baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then top with chopped fresh herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme to garnish! It just makes the dish even prettier, I think!
We love the cheesiness of this casserole, but if your family prefers less cheese you can adjust the amounts to your tastes.
Here’s my Eggplant Parmesan recipe. I hope your family loves it as much as we do!
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning Mix
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Spray two 9×13-inch rimmed sheet pans with olive oil spray and set aside.
- Peel eggplant and slice into 1/2-inch rounds.
- Mix bread crumbs and ½ cup parmesan cheese until well-blended.
- Beat egg and milk until thoroughly mixed.
- Dip each eggplant slice into egg mixture and then dredge through bread crumb mixture until coated on each side. Place slices in a single layer onto prepared sheet pans. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom; turn over and bake an additional 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Mix tomato sauce, Italian Seasoning Mix and salt until thoroughly blended.
- Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce mixture over bottom of 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with half of the baked eggplant. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce over eggplant and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle 1 cup of parmesan cheese over mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers of remaining eggplant slices, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven and garnish with chopped fresh basil, oregano, and thyme.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
My mom used to include ricotta cheese in the layering process.
We are Italian and that is how she always did it. Try it sometime, it is heavier, but good.
So delicious, Brooklyn Girl! I love ricotta so I know your mom’s was so good! Thanks for sharing!
Aren’t you supposed to “sweat” the eggplant first?
My mom always did that. Salted it and weighted it to squeeze out liquids. I think it removes bitterness. I am usually lazy and in a rush so I always skip it.
Wow, delicious recipe, I cooked this week and everyone here at home loved it. Thanks for sharing
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks so much for leaving your review! xo
Hello. For the make ahead version, do you bread and bake the eggplant first then assemble The eggplant, sauce and cheese and then refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it? Making this tonight. Thank you.
Kay, you would follow the recipe instructions through step 8 up to the point of baking. Prepare eggplant parmesan without baking. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator, remove wrap, and bake according to recipe instructions. Hope you enjoy!
This dish looks delicious. I need to try it at home.
If we are preparing it ahead of time, do we skip the baking of the eggplant for 20 minutes on each side? If so, do we cook the entire prepared dish for longer, will the eggplant cook all the way through if we don’t cook it prior?
I just tried this recipe tonight; my picky husband, loved it!
It’s a hit! I used 2 baking dishes for a larger eggplant.
This recipe was so easy and fast, unlike another recipe that took at least 90 minutes. I will repeat, thanks so much
Hi, this looks delicious. I’m making this up to freeze for work lunches. Could l heat it up in a microwave at work, or should l oven cook it before work, then heat at work. Thanks Stacey
Stacey, you can reheat this in the microwave. I would cook it in the oven at home, keep it refrigerated, then reheat in the microwave at work. It may be a little bit more soft heated in the microwave than it is heated in the oven.
My family and I LOVE this!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.😋💕
Thanks, Lisa. I’m glad your family loves it.