Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Salt
1 box Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1 medium jar spaghetti sauce
3 cups mozzarella, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten (more if needed)
1/2 cup milk
Oil
Slice eggplant into 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices – peel it if skin is thick. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices lightly with salt and lay out on a rack over a cookie sheet (or on several layers paper towels). Let the eggplant slices sit and release
moisture for at least 45 minutes, but it’s best to let it sit 1-2 hours.
Pat slices dry. Mix together eggs and milk to make egg wash. Heat 1/3 cup oil over medium heat. Dip each slice of eggplant in egg wash, dredge with bread crumbs, and then place in heated oil. Fry 3-4 slices at a time – don’t crowd the skillet.
While eggplant is frying, preheat oven to 350F. In a 9×13-inch pan, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom. Mix together mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in a medium mixing bowl.
Fry eggplant 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Occasionally wipe the burned breadcrumbs out of the skillet, return the skillet to heat, add another 1/3 cup of oil, and continue frying. As you take the eggplant out of the skillet, place it in the prepared 9×13″ pan (on top of the spaghetti sauce), and top each slice with a small spoonful of spaghetti sauce and small pinch of cheese mixture. Overlap and then layer the slices.
When all the eggplant is in the pan, sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Cover pan with foil, and bake 20-30 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and cheese is melted.