the other night i made a favourite dish of mine - eggplant parmesan, but changed it up a bit and made it into a casserole. the results were pretty much magic and a great segue into a winter happily spent in my kitchen.
eggplant parmesan casserole
:: ingredients ::
1 large eggplant
kosher salt (as needed)
2 eggs
a splash of milk
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 cup of flour
oil as needed (i used aroma free coconut)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cartons of cherry tomatoes, 10-12 cocktail tomatoes (or equivalent), chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
a splash of balsamic vinegar
medium bunch of basil, chopped
1.5 cups of grated cheese (i used old cheddar and a bit or parm because its what we had, but mozzarella or anything yummy would also be great)
salt and pepper to taste
:: directions ::
- slice eggplant into 1/4" thick slices. generously sprinkle with kosher salt and place in a colander. repeat and stack all slices. let sit in colander in the sink for 30-60 minutes. the salt helps draws out excess moisture.
- remove from the colander and place eggplant on clean dishtowels or paper towels to absorb left over moisture and remove any excess salt.
- in a large skillet, cover bottom with a generous amount of oil. heat over medium high heat.
- in a shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. in a second shallow bowl, lightly mix breadcrumbs and flour together.
- take eggplant slices and dip in the egg mixture followed by breadcrumb mixture. place in skillet once oil is hot.
- cook eggplant until soft and golden on both sides. remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess grease. you made need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your pan.
- while the eggplant is cooking, add a splash of oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- add onions and toss until translucent. add garlic and continue to cook until just starting to brown.
- dump in chopped tomatoes and mix around until the tomatoes start to soften.
- add vegetable broth (i just wing this - add more or less depending on your desired wateriness) and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
- add basil and salt and pepper to taste.
- simmer until the sauce starts to thinking and tomatoes start to really soften up. around 15 minutes.
- preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- grease a small oven safe dish- a pie plate or half casserole dish would be perfect.
- spread a bit of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish. top with a layer of the fried eggplant and then sprinkle with cheese. add more sauce, another layer of eggplant, cheese etc... continue until all sauce, eggplant and cheese is used, ending with a layer of cheese on the top.
- bake for around 20 minutes. let cool for a few minutes, serve with a giant green salad and enjoy!
