Eggplant Parmesan

It's summertime and that means we have access to delicious, fresh grown produce. Whether we grow it ourselves in our backyard garden, or we visit a farm or community market, we LOVE to take advantage of the fresh goodies that God provides for us!

On our visit to the Mennonite Farm Market this past weekend I couldn't pass up their delicious eggplant. Eggplant parmesan is something I love but have never personally made for our family. I gathered several recipes through friends and pinterest, took a little from each, and bam, a delicious dinner! And, while eggplant parmesan is traditionally a vegetarian dish, I have also included our family's delicious meat sauce recipe. I already had some made and frozen in the freezer, it was the perfect complement!

After dinner, the results are in, 5 out of 6 loved it! The 6th one liked the noodles and sauce, but he still ate all the eggplant even though he didn't care for it. Here is the recipe, enjoy and let me know how you like it!


Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant (I used two small/medium sized)
1-1 1/2 Cups of Italian Bread Crumbs
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
olive oil, you will use minimal amounts to lightly pan-fry your eggplant
Sauce, can be marinara, spaghetti style, or meat sauce (I used my sauce recipe also posted below)
2 cups Mozzarella 
1 cup shredded parmesan
Italian seasoning to sprinkle on top, or fresh basil chopped and sprinkled on top

Preheat your oven to 375

When beginning the recipe, slice your eggplant across (not lengthwise) to make 1/2 round pieces. Dry the moisture off with a paper towel if they have excess moisture to them. 

Beat together your eggs and your milk until combined in a bowl and pour your italian breadcrumbs onto a plate. Completely submerge each piece of eggplant into the wet mixture then roll around and completely coat them in the breadcrumbs. 

(After coating)

After all pieces have been coated, heat a skillet over medium high heat with enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan so that you are able to lightly fry a few pieces at a time. While the pan is heating, quickly take a 13x9 baking dish and fill the bottom with about a cup of sauce. 

Fry each piece of eggplant until both sides are a golden brown. After frying, place half of the pieces in a layer in the baking dish. Spread another thin layer of sauce over the top. Sprinkle half of the parmesan and half of your mozzarella. Then repeat with another layer following the same method. Then top with a sprinkling of herbs, I used italian seasoning this time. 

Place uncovered in the oven to bake about 20mins (I turned the broiler on for the last minute or two in order to get a little browning to the cheese). 

(fresh out of the oven)

Meat Sauce:

1 lb ground sausage (sweet italian is best)
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (28oz can) crushed tomatoes
2 (6oz cans) tomato paste
2 (6.5oz cans) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 T sugar
2 tsps Italian Seasoning
1 T salt

In a large pot or dutch oven, brown sausage and beef, throw in garlic and onions halfway through browning. When meats are browned, add in all other ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 hrs, covered. Make sure to stir throughout cooking process.