Eggplant *or* Chicken Parmesan

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 :)