It has taken me almost 6 years to get Alex to try eggplant again. He had a bad experience with it once (probably at a restaurant), and always says he hates it. I’m sure many of you know that it’s easy to take a gorgeous, fresh eggplant and turn it into a mushy, spongy mess.
But, it doesn’t have to be so! I find that a lot of the time that happens with frying. If you don’t have your oil set at a high enough temperature, or cook them too long, they absorb a lot of the oil and become not so appetizing anymore.
Needless to say, I was determined to get him to love this beautiful ingredient again, and we had a MAJOR success with this dish. He said that he is forever a fan of eggplant if we always make it like this! (*happy dance*)
It’s crispy, it’s rich, it’s flavorful. It’s healthy.
Ahhhh! Did I say the H word in the same post as an eggplant parmesan dish?!
Well, you’d never know it was healthy if you tasted it. It has all the components of the hearty dish we love, but without the frying! The eggplants are coated in a special blend of breadcrumbs, baked, assembled, and baked again. I also put mozzarella right on top of the eggplant to prevent it from getting soggy from the sauce. So crispy, you’d never know the difference!
With a homemade basil marinara, fresh mozzarella, and beautiful parmesan cheese, it’s a winning dish for sure!
Want to know just how much better they are for you?!
(**This is an estimate for both recipes per serving.)
Fried Eggplant Parmesan: Calories: 330 Total Fat: 15g Carbs: 38g
My Baked Eggplant Parmesan: Calories: 210 Total Fat: 8g Carbs: 12g
Pretty darn good, huh?!
Alright, enough talking. Let’s get cooking!!
Individual Baked Eggplant Parmesans
Serves 6
What You’ll Need:
+ 1 fresh eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds.
+ 2 egg whites, beaten
+ 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
+ 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
+ salt and pepper to taste
+ 1 cup your favorite marinara (find the recipe for mine here)
+ 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella
+ 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the egg whites in a bowl, and both breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites, and then the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Lightly grease the 6 ramekins. Place a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of each. Add a slice of eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan, and more sauce. Repeat with another slice of eggplant and other steps. Finish it off with some more mozzarella and parmesan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
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