Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Eggplant Parmesan

I have been playing around with a vegetarian diet as of late, so have been trying to come up with some great recipes that will please me, but also my meat eaters (though that daughter of mine is pretty close minded to any food that is in the vegetable category). This was a great dish however, that both Aaron and I like a lot. The nice thing about  making your own food is you get to control what goes into it, so going lighter on the cheese (one of my favorite foods sadly) helps in keeping the fat and calories down.


INGREDIENTS:

2 Eggplant, Peeled and thinly sliced
4 Egg Whites
4 Cups Italian Seasoning Bread Crumbs
6 Cups Spaghetti Sauce
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella
½ Cup Grated Parmesan
1 tsp. Dried Basil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare spaghetti sauce if making from scratch.

Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread half the spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce and cover with half the cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

NOTE:

Next time I make this I am going to do an extra layer with sliced mushrooms and zucchini - I think this will pair nicely with the eggplant and will also ramp up the veggie count. Serve this dish with a green salad and you have a great meal!