Eggplant parmesan is a classic dish that can be adjusted to your preferences - for flavor, texture, and cooking methods. I like popping my breaded eggplant in the oven to avoid the frying time over the stove, then layering with lots of roasted homegrown tomato sauce.

We love to pair eggplant parmesan with meat balls or simply roasted chicken, dipped in some basil butter or marinara.

The recipe below is available to Garden to Kitchen subscribers:

2 ½ lbs eggplant, sliced 1/2” thick

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs, beaten

3 cups bread crumbs (panko or Italian)

Olive oil

48 oz tomato sauce (I used my homegrown roasted tomato sauce)

2 cups mozzarella

¾ cup parm

Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Salt both sides of eggplant slices and let sweat while you prep the other ingredients. Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in 3 shallow bowls for breading. Using a towel or paper towel, pat the eggplant slices dry. Dip each slice in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs. Generously grease two sheet pans with olive oil, and lay eggplant in a single layer on them. Bake for 30 minutes, switching the pans halfway through the cooking time. Grease a 9’x13’ pan with olive oil, and layer first with a layer of eggplant, half the tomato sauce, half of the cheeses, then layer the second half of the ingredients. Bake uncovered, until starting to brown and bubbling at the edges, 35-45 minutes. Let cool 15-20 minutes before slicing, and enjoy!