An Italian favorite in a warm and hearty casserole! Hearty, saucy, and full of Italian flavor, my eggplant parmesan casserole is so delicious. Thick breaded slices of tender eggplant are baked, so they’re crisp but not greasy. Then I layer those slices with a rich sauce and lots of cheese. It’s like an eggplant parmesan lasagna. It has a few steps and two different bakes, but it’s easy to make and even easier to serve. I even love this dish the next day- however, this casserole is such a favorite at our house it isn’t often we have leftovers. I use my grandma’s spaghetti sauce recipe to make this dish even tastier. You can find the recipe here. https://talesofthedinnerbelle.com/belles-grandmas-spaghetti-sauce/
Belle’s Eggplant Parmesan Casserole
2 eggplants
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to oil the sheet pans
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
6 cups marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
Fresh basil leaves
Peel and slice the eggplants into ½ -inch thick rounds. Sprinkle with salt and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a dredging station to make things go smoothly with three shallow bowls (I use pie plates). Combine 1 ½ cups of the breadcrumbs with ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese in one bowl. Place the beaten eggs in another one of the bowls. Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in another. Next, set out two rimmed sheet pans. Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of each pan. The eggplant rounds should be wet from releasing moisture after salting them. Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels. Working one at a time, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the breadcrumb Parmesan cheese mixture. Place on the oiled sheet pans in a single layer. Spray with cooking spray on the top of each breaded eggplant round. Bake the eggplant at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning the slices over at the halfway point until browned and fork-tender. Remove from oven, and let cool to touch. Spread 1 cup of the marinara or spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Place a third of the eggplant rounds in a single layer covering the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella on top of the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layering two more times. I also place some fresh basil on the top. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered until the cheese melts and the casserole is bubbly around the edges, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.
