Eggplant Parm

Eggplant parm is something I like to order in restaurants, but I have never cooked it myself. That is, until last week.

I picked up a nice looking eggplant knowing that Jon wouldn't be home for dinner one night - he wouldn't touch the stuff! I have made chicken parm and similar cheesy-baked chicken dishes before, so just made this one up as I went along.

Before cooking with eggplant, slice it, toss with some salt, let it sit in a colander for about 30 minutes to draw out some of the water. Rinse and pat dry.

Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant, sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Cheese - I used some fresh mozzarella as well as some Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, chiffonaded
• Sauce - I used jarred sauce (!!!!) instead of spending the time to make my own.

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large pan; preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Dip eggplant in flour, egg, flour egg, then breadcrumbs. This double-dip method makes a thicker crust
• Place in the pan and fry for 2 min on each side, or until golden brown
• Spread some sauce in a baking dish
• Place fried eggplant in the dish; top with more sauce, cheese, and fresh basil
• Bake on 375 for 10 minutes

I served the eggplant with thin spaghetti tossed in the sauce.

When you can buy a beautiful eggplant for $1.49, there is no reason to order this from a restaurant! It was absolutely delicious, and I can't decide which I liked better - the ones topped with mozzarella (on the left) or the others topped with Parmesan (on the right). The fresh basil is a must, dried just would not work and wouldn't give the fresh, bright, herby (is that a word?) finish on top.