These Eggplant Parmesan Stacks are easy to make and SO tasty that you're guaranteed to fall in love with them even if you're not an eggplant devotee.
They're a delicious vegetarian dinner, perfect for late summer when eggplants are abundant and you can't be bothered to cook too much!
If you love eggplant, this recipe is most definitely for you. And if you don't love eggplant, I promise, this recipe will make you a convert.
Years ago when a friend dropped a bunch of eggplants on my front porch, I had no idea what to do with them because I "didn't like eggplant". This stance was born from simply never having tried eggplant or never having eggplant prepared well or some combination thereof.
But I dug into my Italian roots and decided to attempt to make eggplant parm. Because when you take something, slice it thinly, dredge it in breadcrumbs, fry it and smother it in tomato sauce and cheese... what can really go wrong?!
And man, oh man, did I fall hard for that eggplant parm.
These Eggplant Parmesan Stacks are a simpler, smaller, weeknight version of that classic trattoria dish.
When eggplant is in season, it's usually in abundance. And unless you grew up eating and loving it, odds are you have no idea what to do with it! This recipe makes a delicious vegetarian dinner, side dish or appetizer will have you crossing your fingers that eggplant shows up in your CSA!
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
First, we still bread the eggplant slices. It's important to slice the eggplant thinly because it makes it less bitter and provides a higher breading to veggie ratio.
We'll use a three part dredge with dishes set up with seasoned flour, egg and seasoned breadcrumbs, respectively. The flour helps dry off the eggplant so the egg will stick to it. And the egg, in turn, helps the breadcrumbs stick.
I'm always partial to panko breadcrumbs because they provide more texture and crunchy bite to the final product.
So we bread the eggplant and place it on a sheet pan coated with oil. Bake them in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes to let them brown. Then flip all the slices and brown them on the opposite side for another 15 minutes. While you could pan fry the slices, I prefer baking them because it makes them lighter and it makes less mess!
Once the slices are brown on both sides, add a small dollop of sauce onto each round and top with a small slice of mozzarella. Place them back in the oven to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and stack them up 3-4 high and garnish with a sprig of basil!
Enjoy them as an appetizer, side dish or vegetarian main. We like to pair them with a side of pasta and salad.
Other Eggplant Recipes:
The Best Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Classic Baba Ganoush (Garlicky Eggplant Dip)
Make-Ahead Veggie Meatballs with Roasted Eggplant and Lentils
Roasted Ratatouille Ragu
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium/large eggplant
- 1/2 cup all-purpose whole wheat or gluten-free flour
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 cup tomato sauce of your choice
- 4 oz. mozzarella sliced thinly
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice the eggplant into ¼-inch thick slices. Prepare a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Set up three shallow bowls for breading the eggplant. In the first bowl, place the 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. In the second bowl, crack in the egg and add 3 tablespoons water. Scramble the egg and water together. In the third bowl, combine the 2 cups panko, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Prepare the eggplant by dredging each slice in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, making sure to fully coat in each step. Place on a baking sheet and repeat until all eggplant is coated.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then flip the slices and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the eggplant from the oven and top each slice with a dollop of tomato sauce and a thin slice of mozzarella. Put back into oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and create eggplant stacks by stacking 3-4 slices up at a time. Serve with pasta, bread and/or a side salad!
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