An eggplant dish both of us can get behind – this lightened up version of fried eggplant is super crisp and flavorful and a breeze to put together, you don’t even have to peel the eggplant!!!! Slice, bread, roast and done! We typically eat this with marinara sauce and sometimes some spaghetti but really we make these for leftovers that we turn into sandwiches! Sourdough bread, some marinara sauce and cheese and a few minutes in a panini press and you have the most EPIC vegetarian sandwich.  

Tips & Tricks

• To get the correct crispy texture, don’t forget to salt and rest the eggplant to get rid of extra liquid.
• If you want a cheesier mixture, you can add 1/4 cup of Parmersan cheese to the breading.
• Feel free to play around with the spicing of the bread mixture – you could choose to add Parmesan or you might want to add some cayenne or chili powder for an added kick.
• This dish is great served plain with a basic marinara sauce but also is AMAZING in a Milanese sandwich or panini with some mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.

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Recipe Information

• Prep time: 45 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Eggplant, cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick or less.  Peel if you like, but not necessary.
• 1 eggs
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup Panko or Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp smoked Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt/Pepper
• Optional:  Add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to breading mixture

Directions

1. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.
2. Sprinkle salt on eggplant slices and rest in colander for 30-45 minutes to allow some liquid to drain.
3. After rest, rinse eggplant and place on papertowel as you prepare and conduct next steps.
4. Mix together Panko Breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt/pepper (adjust to taste).
5. Prepare egg wash by whisking egg, and then slowly added room temperature melted butter.
6. Dip each slice of eggplant first into egg wash, then into breading mixture to coat.
7. Place on aluminum foil or parchment paper lined backing sheet.
8. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
9. Flip each slice and bake an addition 6-10 minutes until golden brown and breading is crispy.