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An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.
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This post was originally published on September 11, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and an instructional video.
Aaahhh, cheesy Baked Eggplant Parmesan. One of my husband’s favorites. I remember making it for the first time ages ago and wondering how my kids would perceive it. I mean, there’s no meat in it! Not necessarily an easy selling point to four teenage boys.
Because it resembles lasagna they dove right in without even asking what it was… and it was love at first bite. So, there you go!
I find this oven-fry method is easier to prepare than the traditional fried version and it’s definitely a little easier on the waistline without forfeiting any of the delicious flavor or texture. Try it and you’ll see.
How to Sweat Eggplant
Don’t sweat the small stuff…. but definitely sweat your eggplant! Eggplant can have bitterness to it and this process of “sweating” helps eliminate that. Not all of them will have that bitter element, but to me it’s not worth the risk so I always take this extra step when I make this Baked Eggplant Parmesan.
Sweating is the process of salting your eggplant slices and allowing them to rest for about an hour or more. The salt will pull some of the potentially bitter liquid from the eggplant. Less moisture in the eggplant slices also helps them to crisp up nicely in the “oven-fry” method in this recipe. Once they’ve sweat, just be sure to rinse them well with cool water to remove the excess salt and blot them dry before breading them.
Should I Peel the Eggplant?
Whether you peel them is personal preference. It isn’t necessary and I love the deep purple color not to mention that there are vitamins and additional flavor in the skin. I’ve done it both ways with this Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe but took the easy way out here and left the skin on.
You could mix things up by using different varieties of Italian cheese but for this recipe I always go with sliced fresh mozzarella and a little Parmesan. The fresh mozz has such a luscious, creamy quality and layers nicely on the eggplant stacks.
This is one of our favorite Italian-inspired meals in this house. I’ve made it countless times and it remains at the top of the list!
BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN
More fabulous ways to use eggplant:
Julia Child’s Eggplant Pizzas | Kayln’s Kitchen
Eggplant Fries with Marinara Sauce | A Family Feast
Garlic and Roasted Eggplant Hummus | Melanie Makes
Stuffed Eggplant | The Little Kitchen
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 3 eggplant sliced 1/4" thick (you'll need 12 slices)
- salt
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 (8 ounce) box Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (16 ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Sprinkle some salt on both sides of each slice of eggplant. Layer the slices in a colander and place the colander in your sink. Place a heavy dish or pan over the top to press them down. Allow to sweat for 30 to 45 minutes. Rinse well with cold water to remove salt and blot dry with paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet generously with cooking spray. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs down with fingers if needed to cover evenly. Place in a single layer on oiled baking sheet and lightly spray tops of breaded eggplant with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes then carefully flip each slice and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread just enough marinara to cover bottom of dish. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Cover each slice with a spoon full of marinara, a slice or two of mozzarella, and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat with one more layer. Pour any leftover marinara and around edges of eggplant slices and top with any cheese that is left. Sprinkle basil on top.
- Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com
Nutrition
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Keller Janet says
I’ve made this a few times for guests and everyone has been astounded !!! I didn’t really care for eggplant until this recipe!!!
Sergio Fishreeler says
I love eggplant, they remind me of the taste of mushrooms baked in the oven with cream cheese … hoho, it’s fantastic, tasty, beyond words, thanks !!!
Annie says
Delicious, I’ll make again. Thank you.
Annebakerim says
I often go to your site to read a new recipe, thanks for teaching me how to cook delicious and healthy food.
Sarish Mohin says
Can i prepare this dish a few days ahead of time.
Valerie says
I wouldn’t recommend it. Anything breaded will have a tendency to get soggy after sitting in liquid for several days.
Karens says
This recipe was easy to make and delicious. I definitely did not miss the breading. I also loved the sauce! The balsamic was a wonderful addition. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers today!
frysmith says
I have tried and exactly what you described. Frying with the oven is still delicious and easy to make
Rimmy says
I made this dish with non-dairy cheese, made it a great VEGAN recipe that everyone enjoyed!
Mattie says
Thank Valerie, Never had eggplant before, i saw this and it looked delicious. I want to try it.
Loretta Davidson says
I prepared this last night and it was delicious. I actually only used 1 eggplant. I will definitely make again.
Barbara Santos says
Valerie,
This is the best eggplant parmesan recipe I have ever made! It not only tastes delicious but also looks beautiful when served. The directions were easy to follow and the video was a bonus! I look forward to trying more of your recipes! Thank you
Barbara
Williams says
I love to cook and I am always looking for new recipes for my menu, which makes me always interested in my work. Today’s my lucky day, the Baked Eggplant Parmesan is great, just follow the instructions and everything is easy, I like it. Thanks for your sharing
Melissa Carlock says
I made this exactly like your recipe instructed. It was the best eggplant parm that I have ever eaten. No more looking for an Italian restaurant after Italian restaurant to find a great one anymore. I have made the best one in my very own kitchen. Thank you so much. The search is over. You’ve made me a happy woman.
Carrie McDaniel says
I love this recipe. It’s my go to and I freeze the leftovers for lunch at work.
Debbie says
Going to make this right now. My mouth is watering. Thank you.
Vanessa says
Hi Valerie,
What brand of marinara sauce do you use?
Valerie says
I most frequently use Mezzetta brand. All of their sauces are great and we really like the Spicy Marinara for a kick.
Anna says
OMG, thanks ?? this receipt had so many blessings in it. Didn’t follow your receipt but the advise of salt and sweating the eggplant ? was so lovely and the dish came out awesome. I used my family sauce for the dish… your kindness and help today is so appreciated!
Alf
Charlotte V says
I won’t make this again. What I saved in time did not offset the cost of the ingredients. I never did the salt process but thought I’d try it. I over salted since it said to be generous and I was too generous. I hate to waste food śo I’m forcing myself to eat it but am not enjoying it.
Valerie says
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you, Charlotte. The salt should be rinsed off the eggplant before proceeding with the recipe but you could also skip the step of salting the eggplant entirely if you aren’t concerned about a potentially bitter result.
Lisa C. says
I have spent years the old school frying way! Never again! This was perfect!
Thank you !
Karen D says
This is my second time making this eggplant parm. It’s definitely a keeper, it’s just delicious. Thank you Valerie.
Valerie says
So glad to hear it, Karen! 🙂
Danielle says
Loved the flavor of this recipe!! It may just be me, but I found 3 eggplants to be too much for the amount required and 2 did just fine. Definitely will make again!
Julia says
Valerie, absolutely loved this! Made a few tweaks, as I literally never follow a recipe 100%, but this was so yummy I will actually make it again! Thank you!
Kris says
I’ve used this recipe a few times. Always turns out well!
I recently switched to gluten free cooking, and although I had to season my breadcrumbs myself (dried parsley & basil, onion powder, garlic powder & salt!) and bake the eggplant slices a little longer and with a little more oil sprayed on, it was fantastic.
Thanks again
Hortence Hidalgo says
This recipe was a little work but the end result looks amazing and tastes awesome as a lenten meal with zuchini noodles and salad!
Olga says
VALERIE, this eggplant looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it!
Paul Napoli says
Today is Sunday. I am having guests on Thursday evening. I work during the day and want to know if I can prepare the entire tray today and freeze it? Thaw it out Wednesday night and bake it Thursday night.
Second question:
I just finished breading and frying the eggplant slices. They are ready to be layered. Can I freeze these and thaw them the day before then prepare the tray for baking the night the guest come over. My main concern with everything above is will this make the eggplant too mushy when being baked?
Valerie says
I haven’t tried freezing it, Paul, so I’m afraid I can’t say for sure. I’ve heard from others that have tried it that it worked out well for them.
BabsKent25 says
I made this recipe and it tastes great! But I don’t understand why you needed 3 eggplants. If you are slicing them 1/4” thick and need 12 slices, then 12 X 1/4 = 12/4 = 3 inches. In other words, you would supposedly only need 3 inches of the eggplant, which could easily be fulfilled by 1 eggplant. Are you only using a few inches from the center of each eggplant and not using the rest so that they will all be the same size? I cut up one moderate sized eggplant into 1/4” slices and got enough slices to need 2 pans to bake them all. True, I had to cut up some of the smaller ones and arrange them on the bottom layer to make similar sized layers, but that seems preferable to only taking the centers from 3 different eggplants and wasting the rest. If I had cut up 3 whole eggplants I probably would have had 5 or 6 baking sheets of 1/4 inch slices!
I also raised the initial temp to 425° because that’s where I roast most veggies and it worked great! Overall, a wonderfully flavorful and easy meal! We have one restaurant we go to in town because it is the only one that makes a good, crispy Eggplant Parmesan. We all agreed this recipe was even better than that!
Also, I’ve made Eggplant Parmesan before by frying the slices on the stovetop. That was a good recipe too, but frying all those slices a few at a time was such a messy, tedious affair that I never made it again. This recipe was so simple that I will be able to make it all the time now. Thanks from my vegetarian husband!
Susie says
I followed the instructions on sweating with salt. I rinsed it thoroughly but it was so salty we couldn’t eat it. All my money and time was wasted!!!!!
Valerie says
I’ve never heard of anyone having an issue with the eggplant being salty after sweating it so I can’t be sure what happened there but I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Susie.
Drew London says
I absolutely hated eggplant… Until I made this recipe. Now, it’s the only way to make it!
Paula says
People who claimed to hate eggplant, LOVE THIS DISH! It’s a fantastic recipe. Even my father, raised by Italians from the old country, thinks it’s better than his!
Valerie says
Such a wonderful compliment. Thanks so much, Paula! I’m very happy to hear it went over so well. 🙂
Jean says
My husband and I are generally not eggplant fans. I did a Moroccan dish not too long ago that I liked and he said was OK. Tonight, he legitimately liked it. He did not tolerate it or think it was just fine to have as a healthy alternative. He actually liked it. Thanks for the recipe. Super yum and my 5 yr old gives her approval too.
Valerie says
Well, that’s fantastic, Jean! Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
Sandra Davino says
I’m making this eggplant recipe tonight. I couldn’t find fresh basil. I bought pesto. I will layer it in. I can tell it will be delicious.
Paige Wines says
Is this freezer friendly? Prepping freezer meals…thank you!
Layne says
Yum, I can’t wait to try this – it looks delicious. All that yummy cheese!!
Bill C says
Neither myself or my wife have ever had eggplant before, I’m using your recipe now, and am anxious to see how it turns out. Thanks for the post!
Radhika says
Thank you Valerie for the yummy, delicious recipe. You made it easy for me with detailed description.I made this for today’s dinner . It came out pretty well . I also cooked a small amount of angel hair pasta with pepper jack cheese and ground black pepper on the side I had this with wine. Glad I found your page. I bookmarked it already and shared with my friends as well . Thank you 🙂 Happy New Year and Have a great year ahead ! 🙂
Cathy Gigante-Brown says
Absolutely delicious. I made it when my mother-in-law came to visit. Eggplant parm is her fave. This was light an yummy–I did add ricotta cheese to the filling, which made it even yummier. I’ll definitely make it again. Very easy too.
Valerie says
Your addition of ricotta sounds wonderful! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Katie says
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! It’s definitely going to be something I cook regularly. I didn’t have breadcrumbs so I didn’t coat the eggplant with anything and it was still incredible. Thanks for the recipe!
Susan Hamalainen says
Just wanted to let you know I have made your recipe 3 times and I love it! It saves so much time not having to fry the eggplant and tastes so much lighter and crispier. This is my go-to now. Thanks!!!!!
Valerie says
Fantastic, Susan! So glad the recipe is working out so well for you. 🙂
Roger Lustig says
3 eggplant sliced into 1/4″ slices? And I’ll need 12 slices? That’s 3 inches total–less than one medium eggplant. What do I do with all the rest?
Valerie says
One medium eggplant will not yield 12 slices. You might be able to get what you need from two eggplant but I recommend picking up three so you don’t come up short. The video in this post might be helpful to illustrate this.
MiTmite9 says
Same thought here. I am in the middle of this recipe and realized three eggplants (all medium-sized regular eggplant, not Japanese) is WAY too much for two layers in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan. I just finished making Thai Eggplant Salad to use up the rest of the “leftover” eggplant. Three is TOO MANY. (Not to mention $$$ when you buy organic.)
Janice Smither says
Hey, just wondering if you could sweat the eggplant slices the night before and keep refrigerated?
Valerie says
Hi Janice. I’ve never tried it so can’t say for sure if it would be a good idea or not. My concern would be that the texture of the eggplant could change once it is sliced and open to the air if left for too long.
BJ says
I purchased some smaller white eggplant from a local farmer the other day. He mentioned they don’t grow large and the flavor is better than the purple. Should I sweat the white eggplant as well? Also, bought a few of the purple. Excited to try them both! Thanks for your detailed recipe and amazing pics!
Valerie says
Hi BJ. I’ve never worked with white eggplant but from what I understand they are milder and less bitter than the purple variety. I can’t say for sure whether they would benefit from the sweating process but I did read that they should be peeled for the best result. Also, for anyone else who may come across this comment, there are two varieties of white eggplant, an edible variety and an ornamental variety meant to be used solely for decorating purposes so be sure you’ve got the correct one if you plan to use it in a recipe. I’d love to hear how this works out for you if you end up using the white eggplant. Thanks so much!
Irene says
Hello Valerie – thank you for sharing this recipe and the info about sweating the eggplant. I made the dish this evening and am very happy with the outcome. I am indulging in some eggplant while I can. The six-week challenge I begin Monday excludes eggplant from the meal plan. Agin, thanks for sharing!!
Valerie says
You are so welcome! Good luck with the six-week challenge. 🙂
Scott Klein says
What a phenominal dish! I made it last night for my vegetable-phobic parnter. It was complete silence while we devoured the first servicing. I loved it even more the next day for lunch. Salting and sweating the eggplant meant zero bitter taste. Pre-baked the [email protected] 450 degrees for 12 mins on each side. They didn’t really brown, but it didn’t matter. Everything came out perfectly. Used Trader Joes marinara. Super good and reasonably priced. My veggie critic just texted to ask when I was making it again. Thanks, Valerie!
Valerie says
Yay, Scott! They really should brown at 450 degress so hmm…. wondering if they just needed to go a bit longer? But anyway, SO glad you both loved it and thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
Angel says
Making tonight it’s almost done…
Sandi says
This dish was amazing! The only thing I’d mention is that the nutrition is way off. I put each ingredient into a food tracker program to track for my day and it add some up to 482 calories for 1 serving. No where even close to the 126 as posted. So even though it was totally delish and I’ll make again, it was not a low calorie dish as expected. Bummer!
Cheri says
My husband generally turns up his nose whenever I serve eggplant. This year I grew it in the garden. It’s remarably easy to grow. With a bumper crop, and my picky husband in mind, I went in search of new recipies. This was the first one I’ve tried and it was AMAZING! He actually went in for seconds! I can’t thank you enough.
Valerie says
I’m so glad it passed the test! Thanks for the feedback, Cheri. 🙂
Kim says
Hrew eggplant for the first time this year, it is so amazingly easy -if anything could be easier than tomatoes, this is it! After I picked my three beautiful eggplants I began to realize – I have no real recipes for them! So glad I found this one. Trying it tonight!
Kathy says
The recipe says double layer, but your picture looks like triple layer. Is it up to the individual?
Valerie says
Hi Kathy. I’m not sure which picture you are looking at but it’s just two layers in all the photos and the video.
Rebecca F. says
I often search for recipes but rarely comment unless I’m incredibly impressed. Guess what….this recipe knocked my socks off! I arrived home from work at 5, picked 2 eggplants off of my home garden plants and started the process….amazing results! Thank you…..keep up the great work!
Valerie says
I’m so glad that you did comment, Rebecca! I’m happy the recipe worked out so well for you and really appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Sarah Hiers says
This recipe sounds amazing and I’d like to try it, however, I find it hard to believe it is only 126 calories per serving. The calorie count for the fresh mozzarella is 226. Can you let me know how you calculated the calories per serving? Thanks
Valerie says
The nutrition value is calculated automatically through the plugin that is used to create my recipe cards. I always recommend checking nutrition values for any recipe through your own trusted online nutritional calculator or other methods. See my full nutrition disclosure HERE.
Frank says
This looks very similar to the way my mother used to make her egg plant Parm. Unfortunately my mother recently died and she took her recipe with her. I remember she used to fry her egg plants that were already breaded and mixed with egg batter prior to baking. Is this something I should try prior to taking step one of your recipe?
shannon says
hi valerie..i just came across your recipe through a picture of it linked from kevin’s closet cooking. my mouth has not stopped watering. from the moment i saw the picture, all the way through your description and instructions. this will be dinner very soon..and i can’t wait 🙂
Lise Mueller says
I have to say I was skeptical that the eggplant would be crispy & hold up to the sauce once baked but this recipe has proven me wrong. In fact after 3 days in the fridge, they were still somewhat crispy. I will use this recipe over & over, again. Thanks for posting.
Sincerely,
Lise
Valerie says
Fantastic, Lise! I actually think the eggplant stays more crisp with this method on the reheat than it does with the traditional oil in the pan method. I’m so happy to hear you loved it 🙂
Tammy says
We are not huge eggplant fans, but I bought a beautiful, just picked one from the local farm. Made this recipe and added prosciutto as a layer – easy and delish! Thanks for creating/sharing!
Valerie says
Hi Tammy. It must have been so delicious with proscuitto. Sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for the feedback. 🙂
Marie Segree says
Can I use Ragu pasta sauce instead of Marinara, I don’t want to go to the store tonight.
Or should I wait for the right sauce? Tks
Valerie says
Hi Marie. Use the sauce you like best. I think Ragu pasta sauce should work just fine as long as you’ve got enough.
Paryse Shaughnessy says
This is delicious and the prep time his half of what a family recipe takes. Thanks!
maris says
I do not cover the eggplant slices with breadcrumbs (I just fry them lightly after dipping them in beaten egg) and use rikotta instead of mozzarella. We call this recipe Moussaka.
I will definitely try your method for it looks yummy. Love your recipes.
Barb says
Sounds YUMMY.
HOW TO I PRINT THE RECIPE?
Valerie says
Just click the “Print” button on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Jill says
Thank you for sharing this great eggplant parmesan recipe, Valerie! I made it and it turned out SOOO delicious and made plenty so my small family had lots of leftovers, which still tasted great throughout the week 🙂 I made a few very slight modifications, one of which was that I didn’t use any cooking spray. Just put the egg/crumb-covered eggplant slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and they still got nice and crispy. I blogged about the recipe, if you’d like to see the other small modifications I made: http://busymomrecipes.com/dinner/baked-eggplant-parmesan/ We served this over angel hair pasta and totally loved it. Thanks again for the great recipe!
Valerie says
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jill 🙂
Rosln says
um, it says 45 hours for cook time…
But the dish was good!
Valerie says
I had to drive 22 hours and back to get the eggplant? Ha! Thanks for pointing this out. I recently updated to a new recipe card and I’m still coming across these little glitches here and there. It has been fixed!
Tiffany says
This looks delicious!!
Does adding the sauce at the bottom of the pan make the breaded eggplant soggy?
I’ve breaded and fried eggplant before baking with sauce and it gets soggy. Just wondering if the oven-fried version stays crispy.
Yolanda Jimenez says
Can this be made and prepared and freeze it for a week. Then make it for xmas. ???
Jeannie paty says
I made this recipe tonight and it turned out beautifully – My family thanks you !! ( and I’m so proud of myself because I have several really good cooks in the family and this dish made them so happy! ) Thank you Valerie!! My 20 year old daughter ( & husband) both love to cook and grocery shop ( which I don’t necessarily understand that passion, maybe you do) and my daughter even has a food blog so that fact that I was able to make a dinner that they liked and enjoyed … I’m so thankful to you! I signed up for more of your recipes. I’m loving the change of seasons and why it brings us to comfort foods for the family. Happy fall! – warm regards, Jeannie
Anastasiya says
We did a girls night last night at my galpal Lindsey’s house. We get older, life gets crazier, and before you know it you haven’t seen some of your friends in months. Lindsey made this recipe, modified with gluten free bread crumbs (for me?). This was phenomenal??. She passed the recipe on so I could recreate it at home and I am so glad you went into such detail about salting the eggplant to remove the bitterness. Many moons ago, my first time cooking eggplant at my own place… Was a disaster. I didn’t know I had to ‘cure’ it in a sense, and was left so disappointed.
I can not WAIT to make this, and get my very picky eater husband to try!
So delicious, thank you!!
Valerie says
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much, Anastasiya 🙂
Doris says
I hardly saw anyone that had made this dish, so there really weren’t any reviews, and any time I have done anything with egg plant, it was so much work, that I quit, but I love egg plant, why not have reviews of people that have made this recipe??
Valerie says
Hi Doris. I’m always thrilled when people come back to leave a review after they’ve made one of my recipes but obviously, I have no control over that.
Cecelia says
Still looking for a review of dish actually cooked myself. assembled and ready to bake..seems like I might have wanted some olive oil on pan instead of spray.. dry.. will see what it comes out like.
Sally says
Bravo to you for coming up with an easier way to prepare this delicious dish! To those people who do not like this vegetable, the salting process takes out a lot of the bitterness. Also if you choose younger eggplants they will not have a lot of the seeds in them. i have added many of your recipes to my rotation. Keep on cookin girl cause your good at it.
Valerie says
Hi Sally. You make a good point. I’ve heard smaller eggplant have less seeds and tend to have less bitterness. The salting really does do the trick though so I throw caution to the wind and just look for the size I want.I actually seek out decent sized eggplants for this recipe so that I can get good sized discs for layering. I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
Susan says
Looking forward to trying this. Yummy
KalynsKitchen says
Oh my, does that ever look good! I am a big eggplant fan. Thanks for the shout-out for my eggplant pizzas!
Valerie says
Thanks so much, Kalyn. Those pizzas look incredible!
evie says
Hi v..from EVE in ISRAEL… this is eggplant country …. called”HATZILEEM” in HEBREW + so popular her in any + every form . Love it but hates the way it soaks up oil like a sponge…My less oily way tp prepare it is to spareingly BRUSH the thin even slices w oil ( with out the pre salting ) +add seasonings and lay them closely in one layer on the toasting screen of my OLD toaster oven ( yes it makes a mess) I put on the highest heat + they get broiled from both sides takes 20 min. they loose moisture and shrink so u end up with much less than u started with.. +then u do the next batch + the next This does take longer than frying but I hate all that oil, the smell+ cleanup so it’s o k . I NEVER peel . The peel adds great taste Instead i pull a sharp fork lengthwise through the peel which looks llike stripes over the entire egplant. after that I slice.
Once u have “toasted” them like this u ca n do what ever u want but HIDE THEM so
the family wont “steal “+ eat before u get to the next step because the HATZEEL is very tasty just lIke this SHALOM from the HOLYLAND ISRAEL, EVIE
Christie says
Great ! Worked fantastic thank you
Melody says
Great recipe can you please post the stats for the calories , carbs, proteins etc for an average serving size.
Valerie says
Hi Melody. I don’t provide nutritional breakdowns but I know there are many tools available online that will do that for you. If you do a search for “recipe nutrition calculator” or something similar, you will find several choices.
Jade says
Hi Valerie,
Can you make this ahead? I have a big dinner party planned and a tiny kitchen, so I would like to prepare in advance if possible. How would you do this?
Thanks J
Valerie says
Hi Jade. This recipe is not the best choice for a make-ahead dish. Because the eggplant is breaded, the result is best if it is cooked and served right away. A pasta dish would be a far better choice.
Vivian Yaeger says
I have always served this for large gatherings. I learned your method of oven “frying” from a friend and I love it. I have frozen the fried eggplant between sheets of waxed paper and put them in a ziploc bag, then it is always ready to assemble whenever I want. I’m sure you lose some crispness, but just baking it in the gravy you lose it also. I started this when I grew my own and naturally you have more than you can eat all at once. This gave me my eggplant parmesan hopefully for the rest of the year and the hard part was already done.
Stephanie @ The Cozy Cook says
WHOA this looks SOOOO good… definitely pinned this recipe, wow. I can’t even look at it anymore, it’s making me too hungry! Your site is great and your pictures are amazing! Very impressive, I’m glad I found you, I’ll be coming back!
Jack says
Nice recipe. I’ve never heard of sweating eggplant before breading it, I’m interested to try this out to see how it affects the final product. My only word of advice would be to throw on the fresh basil after it’s come out the oven. I can’t imagine those bits of burnt leaf would taste very good! Also, if you stack four or five basil leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly, you get nice little basil ribbons that are good for garnish and easier to eat 🙂 It’s a technique with a fancy french name that’s fun to say; chiffonade!
Valerie says
Hello Jack. Thanks for the helpful comments. I’ve not had a problem with the basil burning but you can absolutely add it after it bakes if you prefer. And, yes, chiffonade is absolutely the most effective and efficient method of slicing basil. Enjoy!
devonta says
can i add hamburger meat to it
Valerie says
Absolutely. I think it would be wonderful with a meat sauce.
Birdiebee says
This looks so amazing that it is on my list to try out on my family next week.
Rick Howard says
Valerie,
Looking for a good baked eggplant recipe, this one looks great! Am trying this tonight, will get back to you after, but it sounds really delicious. Will probably use homemade breadcrumbs, I have fresh tomatoes from the neighbor and an eggplant from her garden, I will probably use a little fresh oregano from my garden.
RWH
Valerie says
Sounds wonderful! Enjoy 🙂
Fernanda says
Thank you for the recipe! I have been experimenting with baked eggplant and so far I have not nailed it. This version is inspiring. Let’s see how I do! 🙂
Valerie says
I’m glad you’ll be trying it, Fernanda! Be sure to come back and let me know how it works out for you 🙂
Carol B. says
Thank you for this great recipe! I love eggplant but hate all the frying (it’s messy and takes forever). Why did I never think of baking them with the breadcrumbs? I will definitely try this recipe. You just made my day!
Valerie says
Thanks Carol! I hope it works well for you. I love the baking method.
Joan says
I have made eggplant parmigiana for many years the old way ??♀️ So happy to come across this recipe baking it!! Saved me a ton of time. Put it in the oven an just waiting. Thank you!! All Italian from Brooklyn N.Y
Valerie says
Hope you loved it, Joan! 🙂
Jowita says
How come in my oven the eggplant takes forever to turn brown , i had in in there longer than 25 min and it did not turn brown almost at all. Finally i took it out because it took too long. I did everything like in the recepie.
Valerie says
Hello Jowita. In my oven, 20 minutes at 425 degrees is plenty to brown the breaded eggplant slices. Your oven may be different. You can try increasing the oven temp a little or leaving it in longer.
Kathy says
FYI, your recipe has 400 degrees shown. So you would reccomend 425?
Valerie says
Hi Kathy. I recommend starting it at 400 degrees F but if you find the eggplant is not crisping up to your liking, go ahead and up the oven temp to 425.
mellissa says
this looks really yummy and how i am looking to make it. thanks for sharing!
Candace says
It looks super yummy! I am a huge eggplant fan but hearing that your kids liked it entices me even more to make it. I have a very, very picky ten year old daughter who is not fond of many vegetables. Luckily, she loves just about anything that has a tomato sauce so I will definitely try this. I’m always on the lookout to boost her vegetable consumption! Did your children realize that it was a vegetable they were eating? Thanks again for the recipe!
Paul King says
Making this for a friend tonight, looks delicious, can’t wait to try it..
Lillian @ My Recipe Journey says
Yes, I like to bake mine too! Much healthier that way! Great post and pics!
Rick Mascaro says
Hi Valerie! What a simple and delicious recipe for one of my favorites! I also like that they retain a better individual serving portion that most “layered” methods. Thanks for a pretty and yummy new non meat entree! =)
Mildred Rateliff says
Valerie … just discovered your wonderful blog through a friend, and can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the eggplant recipe and cannot wait to try it. However, if at all possible, could you PLEASE include nutirtional values for those of us who are diabetic??? Thank you so very much and God Bless !!!
Valerie says
Thank you so much Mildred. I hope that you enjoy the Eggplant Parm. I have not looked into what is involved in providing nutritional break downs of my recipes and it is definitely something worth looking into. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂
Laura Stein says
At what temp do you bake the assembled dish?
Valerie says
When you remove the breaded eggplant slices from the oven, you will reduce the oven temp down to 350. Then the assembled dish goes back into the oven and bakes at 350 degrees. Good catch Laura! Thank you and enjoy!
Linda Slaght says
It said to reduce oven temperature to 350
Bill says
This sounds great, we’ll try it soon. Your blog is wonderful.
Valerie says
Thanks Bill 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Wow, thanks for a great recipe. says
What a great idea for eggplant. Will use this tip for other dishes as well. We lived at Morgan Hill for for 16 months back in 2001-2002. We miss the great freinds we met there. God bless you and thanks for your blog. David
Valerie says
Thanks for stopping by David. We were just in Morgan Hill over the weekend! Small world. Enjoy 🙂
ann farris says
This is one of the worst food websites I have come across. There is no focus on the recipe it’s all ads.
Valerie says
I can understand your frustration, Ann, but without the ads there would be no web site at all. Running a site like this takes a huge amount of time and effort and there are costs involved with recipe development, testing, photography equipment and editing tools, web hosting, and a long list of other items. Ad revenue is the main income stream for most food bloggers and it is how we cover these costs. This is also how we earn our living so of course we have to run ads to make it possible to provide our recipes to our readers at no cost.
Linda says
It’s no big deal to scroll by the ads, and sometimes I actually see one I’m interested in – thanks for a great recipe!
Vanessa says
How can you complain when the food bloggers are doing all of the work for you for free? Yeez!