Eggplant Parmesan is, hands down, my
favorite meal. Like, if I got to choose my last meal, this would be it. What's not to love? Cheese....eggplant.....breading....cheese....sauce....cheese..... Did I say cheese??? It just so happens that one of Jason's absolute favorite foods is Chicken Parmesan. How convenient is that!?!? So, it's a great Carnitarian (I invented that word, patent coming soon. Ha! ;) meal for me to make.
We had a break in our summer temps earlier this week so I was able to actually use the oven without overheating the house. Jason suggested chicken/eggplant parmesan and I was
allllll about it! I choose to bake instead of fry mine to keep it a little lighter. I'm still able to get the crispy outside without all the extra calories from using oil. It has great flavor and is such a hit in our house.
Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
(This was the perfect amount of ingredients for 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts and one medium eggplant)
1.5 lbs chicken breast
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
Kosher salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
Cooking spray or olive oil
Marinara
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Directions:
To prepare the eggplant:
Place the eggplant slices on a drying rack over a cookie sheet and gently sprinkle with kosher salt. This will draw out excess moisture and will help result in a crisp coating on your eggplant. Let sit for 30-60 minutes, wipe off excess moisture, flip and repeat on the other side.
1. Preheat oven to 450. Cover a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Create a dredging station - place the eggs in a large, shallow dish and combine the parmesan, panko, basil, oregano, and garlic powder in another dish. Coat both sides of the eggplant/chicken with the egg, place in the panko mixture, flip, sprinkle with more panko and gently pat to get a good coating on it. Shake off any excess and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all eggplant/chicken is coated.
2. Spray the tops of eggplant/chicken with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip, spray with cooking spray and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the eggplant is tender.
3. Place a generous amount of marinara atop each chicken breast/eggplant slice and top with the mozzarella. Place back in the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Bon Appetit!
~ Sara :)