Eggplant Parmesan

This here is eggplant parmesan.  While I love it- it sure is a pain in the neck to make. It's so worth it though. Always when I make it, I make three batches.  One big one and two smaller ones for the freezer.  We get our fill while eggplant is in season and stock up for a day when I have other things to do and need some "fast food".  My husband always says when I make these big batches, lets eat it all now.  You can tell he does not do the cooking. If he did he would understand that the foods I freeze come in handy at a later date when I am either too busy or bored with cooking.
I do peel my eggplant because I hate dealing with the skin if it is not tender enough.  I want to eat my eggplant parm unencumbered by pieces I have to get rid of while eating.

Eggplant Parmesan

For a modest 1- 9x13, you will need:

6-8 eggs, beat in a bowl
3-4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
approximately 4- 10 inch eggplants
8- 10 cups marinara sauce
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups, plus canola oil for frying

Peel and slice in 1/2 inch slices. This was my sous chef- oh, the abuse he takes for this crazy baker/cook.

I will not hide the fact that eggplant parmesan is a messy endeavor because it is one of the messiest. Dip the slices in egg and then in the breadcrumbs. I use seasoned.  A lot of people salt their eggplant after slicing.  One of these days I will try it that way, it's just that this is the way I was taught.

Now, it is time for frying those beauties. Really, they are pretty darn good eating at this stage too.  (I have been known to eat one or two like this, shhhhh).

Layer them in a 9x13 baking dish. Layers like this: sauce, eggplant, overlapping a bit, more sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan or pecorino romano or asiago... When putting on the sauce make sure to put it in thin layers. I do about a cup and half between the layers.


Bake in a 375F oven for about 45 minutes, covered with foil. The last fifteen minutes remove foil.