Classic Eggplant Parmesan

A slice of eggplant parmesan being lifted on spatula out of white baking dish.

The whole family will love this classic eggplant parmesan! Slices of tender eggplant coated in homemade breadcrumbs, and then layered with melted cheeses & rich marinara! Whether you'd like to bake or fry the eggplant, this recipe has a method for both.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword best eggplant parmesan, eggplant parmesan, fried eggplant parmesan

Freezer Friendly Yes

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 403kcal

Author Bethany Kramer

Ingredients

Eggplant

2 medium to large eggplants
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (see notes)
3 large eggs, or 4 smaller eggs
1/4 cup olive oil (for fried eggplant method)

Homemade Breadcrumbs

6 bread slices (about 1 1/2 cups - see notes) for more info use our homemade breadcrumb recipe.
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
2 teaspoons Italian herb blend
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon (each) salt & black pepper

Toppings

1 1/2 cups marinara if you like a lot of sauce you can aim for 2 to 2 1/2 cups of sauce
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese shredded
1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped

Instructions

Slice eggplant: remove stem from eggplant then slice into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.
Sweat eggplant: arrange slices on a pan and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt on both sides. Let sit and "sweat" excess moisture for 10 minutes. Pat firmly with paper towels to dry eggplant thoroughly (wipe off salt as well).
Breadcrumbs: toast slices of bread. Then chop in food processor until consistency is crumbs. Mix breadcrumbs in a bowl with garlic powder, salt & pepper, Italian herbs, and shredded parmesan cheese. Tip: If you are not making your own breadcrumbs, use 1 1/2 cups of store-bought breadcrumbs instead.
Bread eggplant: arrange three bowls containing whisked eggs, flour, and breadcrumb mixture. First, coat eggplant in flour on both sides, then dip into eggs, and then dip into breadcrumbs - pack onto eggplant and then gently shake off excess crumbs. Wipe hands with paper towel then repeat. Tip: if baking eggplant instead of frying, brush a sheet pan with 1-2 Tablespoons of oil and arrange breaded eggplant onto pan as you coat them.
Pan frying method: in a skillet pan, add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil at a time, and cook breaded eggplant for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Lay on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Repeat until all eggplant has been fried.
Baking method: instead of pan frying you can also bake the eggplant to use less oil. Preheat oven to 350F and arrange breaded slices onto sheet pan that is brushed with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.
Assemble: in a large casserole dish, spread a generous layer of marinara on the bottom. Then layer: eggplant slices, mozzarella, a spoonful of marinara, and shredded parmesan. Repeat an additional layer (breaded eggplant, mozzarella, marinara, and shredded parmesan).
Bake: Then bake at 400F uncovered for 30 minutes until cheese is browned and melted. Top with chopped fresh basil & oregano, and serve!

Video

Notes

Types of bread to use for homemade breadcrumbs: this recipe includes a homemade breadcrumb recipe that is super easy to make! The types of bread you can use are endless. You can make it with a healthier grain bread, white bread, your favorite gluten free brand, or Ezekiel bread. For this recipe I used this specific grain bread.

Types of flours for dredging: I recommend I finely ground flour for dredging the eggplant such as all purpose, white whole wheat, gluten free flour blend, or oat flour.

Make it gluten-free: use a gluten-free flour blend for dredging eggplant and either use store-bought gluten free breadcrumbs, or make the homemade breadcrumbs with your favorite gluten free bread.

Nutrition