Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Eggplant Parmesan

The Eggplant Parmesan tonight was VERY delicious!  I really wasn't expecting it to be good, but it was!  I've been thinking so much about making this, that when it actually came time to make it today, I wasn't in the mood.  As soon as I took a bite, I changed my mind!  My husband was not home to enjoy it tonight, but he'll have leftovers tomorrow for lunch.  My daughter, well, she liked it, until she started breaking out in hives.  Yes, she's apparently allergic to Eggplant!  At least it's not an ingredient that's commonly used!

This was a bit time consuming to put together.  It's just a process, but it's not hard.  You have to peel the eggplant, cut the eggplant, "sweat" the eggplant, dip the eggplant, batter the eggplant, layer the eggplant......like I said, it's a process.  It was well worth it though, I swear!  This recipe has a 4-5 hour LOW cook time, so it's not one to put in in the morning and leave all day, so be aware of that!

Technically, this is more of an Eggplant Parmesan Casserole as it's layered, but I used a piece from the top layer in the picture to save the "beauty" of the picture!  If I wasn't trying to take a nice looking picture, I would have just cut in the layers and served myself a "chunk!"

Most Eggplant Parmesan recipes I looked at made a batter for the eggplant, fried it, then topped it with bread crumbs, so I cut some calories out here for you.  If you want, you can substitute the whole egg for egg whites and make it even healthier!  You could also use reduced fat cheese.

Here's what you came for!

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants (I used 3 and it was WAY too much!)
3/4-1 cup Mozzerella Cheese
1 jar Marinara Sauce (I used Meijer brand)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2-2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs
salt, pepper and basil to taste
Pasta to serve under your Eggplant Parmesan
Non-stick spray

Directions:

Peel each eggplant and then slice into 1/2" thick slices.  Salt each side of each piece of eggplant and set in a casserole dish to "sweat" out the moisture for 30 mins.

After 30 mins. pat each piece of eggplant dry with paper towel.

Spray your slow cooker insert!

Dip 3-4 pieces of eggplant into the eggs and then into the bread crumbs.  Make a layer on the bottom of the slow cooker insert, then spread some of the Marinara on top and then sprinkle some of the Mozzarella.  Sprinkle pepper and basil on top as well.

Create 2-3 more layers this way and end with the Mozzarella, pepper and basil on top.

Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.  Serve with pasta and extra Marinara Sauce if you would like.

Enjoy!

Tips:  If you have a smaller slow cooker, slice your eggplant into rounds.  You can always cut them to the size you need, but don't worry if they overlap.  It's not a huge deal!
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28 comments:

  1. Do you have to peel the eggplant? Just wondering if the skin can be eaten?
    Can't wait to try this- it sounds great!!!

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    1. Eggplant skin is really good for you, but chewy when cooked. I usually peel strips from mine, so that each bite has some with skin and some without so its easier to cut a bite.

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  2. No, you do not need to peel the eggplant. Enjoy!

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    1. If I'm coming to dinner I HOPE you peel the eggplant! ;0)

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    2. I agree. Cooked eggplant skins and tomato skins are dish ruining laziness! People have choked on cooked eggplant skin.

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    3. My family all ate it without choking....and I'm obviously alive to blog about it!

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  3. What would happen if it cooked for 8 hours?

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  4. One of three things.....either it will burn, be mushy, or still be perfect! It's been a long time since I made it, so I can't remember exactly what the consistency was. It will probably be ok...

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  5. where do you get an insert for a crock pot?

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  6. The insert is the part of the Slow Cooker you put your food in. The "Crock"

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  7. This is on my blog's menu plan for today and I just got it in the crock pot. This was so simple to assemble! I can't wait to taste it tonight! Thanks for the easy recipe! OH, and thanks for the healthier tips! One more I'd like to add is you could also use whole wheat bread crumbs (from scratch or they also started selling this version in healthier stores. :)

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  8. Great idea Annett!!! I hope it turned out well for you!

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  9. So excited to try this recipe! Thank you for the healthier/quicker version!

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  10. Use one of those crockpot bag liners and there is no clean up afterwards.

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  11. how could you do this with the frozen eggplant?

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    1. I don't think it would work. I think there would be too much liquid

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  12. I've always heard you should rinse the eggplant after "sweating"? I actually make mine without doing that process since the last time I did it, even after rinsing a LOT, it still tasted salty. It tastes just fine if you don't have time for this step.

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    1. I'm glad you said this, because I'm hoping to make this tomorrow and have my husband put the crock into the pot (ha ha) so it won't cook as long. It'll still cook for a good 6 hours. That way it'll be ready when the kids and I get home. I just don't have a lot of time in the morning for sweating.

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    2. So how did it turn out without the "sweating". I am on a low salt diet and really would like to skip the salting process. I've heard that you need ton sweat the eggplant to take out the bitterness.

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  13. This looks fantastic! I'm making it for dinner tonight! Thanks! :-)

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  14. I made this last week, and it was great! I used Ener-G egg replacer and had to mix up the equivalent of six eggs to coat all the eggplant. Also, I froze most of the eggplant parm, thawed a portion, reheated it, and it tasted as good as it originally did. A definite keeper!

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    1. So great to hear you can freeze it, I was thinking this would be a lot of eggplant parm for me. Thanks Crockpot Mom for the recipe.

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  15. Thank U Crock Pot Mom..................

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  16. I love egg plant but my family's not too happy with it. I'm hoping they'll love this version. My grandgirl is mostly vegan and I know she'll enjoy this. Thank you for your wonderful site and yummylicious recipes.

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  17. Im in the process of putting this together right now. Other recipes want you to fry or bake the eggplant before layering in the crock and although i have the time, i just dont want to. Is the flavor or texture much different skipping that step?

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