Eggplant Parmessan casserole is a favorite cold weather dish I think. Layers of homemade tomato sauce, eggplant, and melty cheese always hit the spot when I’m craving vegetarian comfort food. This recipe uses fresh mozzarella cheese for extra creaminess along with scattering bread crumbs on top right before baking to get a crispy topping.
I started out by preparing my ingredients. Drain your whole peeled tomatoes from two 28-ounce cans and set them aside. Finely chop your onions. I like to cut them in half vertically and remove the peels. Place the onion cut side down, holding down on one end, cut 1/4-inch slits horizontally down the onion while leaving the side you’re holding intact. Then cut the onion vertically, it should fall apart in even cubes. It’s by far my favorite easy way to cut onions.

Another simple trick for mincing garlic is to use a Microplane grater if you have one. I like to grate the garlic directly into the bowl or even straight into a hot oiled pan when I’m cooking. This is fast and requires fewer dishes to wash.
I didn’t come across small eggplants at the market so I used larger ones instead. If you’re using large eggplant, slice them horizontally into 1/2-inch thick medallions. I like to save the larger slices for the bottom layers and use the smaller, prettier ones to layer on top.

Let the tomato sauce simmer and cook your eggplant in batches until golden.
Once your sauce and eggplant is prepared, you can go ahead to the fun step, which is layering. I spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom, followed by the eggplant and thyme (instead of basil). Then top with torn, fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. After repeating this layering twice, finish the top with panko crumbs. Over the years, I’ve started using panko crumbs over regular bread crumbs since I find that the texture is lighter and crunchier and perfect for dishes like this.

Place into the oven and let it bake through for 45 minutes until the top is golden and brown. This casserole is sure to please all picky eaters. If you have leftovers, try spooning them over a crisp piece of toast for lunch the next day.

Eggplant Parmesan

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Total Time: 3 hours
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 2 cups for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
2 28-ounce cans whole, peeled Italian tomatoes, drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 small eggplants (or 2-3 large), cut lengthwise 1/2-inch thick ( 4 pounds total)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil
1 pound lightly salted fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into small pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs or panko

HOW TO MAKE:

1. In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 25 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil. Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Working in several batches, cook the eggplant over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Add more olive oil to the skillet between batches. Drain the eggplant slices on paper towels.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9-x-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange one-third of the fried eggplant slices in the baking dish and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil. Top with one-third of the torn mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this layering twice. Sprinkle the panko crumbs all over the top of the eggplant Parmesan. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 45 minutes, until the top of the eggplant Parmesan is golden and the tomato sauce is bubbling. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

 voila.. you have your own eggplant parmessan, habe fun cooking folks..