A Crowd-Pleaser!

Growing up, my mother says that I ate everything.  Rarely did she fix something for supper that we didn't like.  Imagine my shock when I discovered that my kids are horribly picky eaters!  My Fella (a.k.a. Husband) also has his share of likes and dislikes, therefore I can rarely please all four of us. 

Of all things, this eggplant recipe is one of the few meals that everyone likes.  I came across it last summer, when my grandparents gave me a beautiful eggplant from their garden.  The only way I had ever prepared an eggplant (and enjoyed it) was to fry it.  Boring.  Everything else I've tried just ends up a soggy mess. 

This is Crispy Eggplant Parmesan - a Sandra Lee recipe from Food Network.  I've tweaked it just a bit to my taste, and I have also substituted a canned spaghetti sauce when I was in a pinch. 

2 med or 1 large eggplant - look for one that is firm and shiny (if the skin is dull, it will most likely be past its prime)
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
grated Parmesan
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375.  In one bowl, combine flour, salt & pepper.  In a second bowl, whisk eggs and water.  In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs, cornmeal, Italian seasoning, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, and salt & pepper.  Slice eggplant crosswise 1/4" to 1/2" thick.  Dredge in flour, then dip in egg, and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.  Place on a rack over a baking sheet (line with foil for easy clean up).  Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until eggplant is golden and crisp.  Thicker slices will need to bake a little longer.

(My apologies for the poor quality of the photos here - I thought there was enough light in the kitchen this evening.  Apparently not).

 

For the sauce:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 med. onion, minced

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

2 tsp Italian Seasoning

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

 

In a saucepan, heat oil, then saute onion 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cook 1 minute more.  Add Italian seaoning, crushed tomatoes, salt & pepper to taste.  Simmer 10 minutes.



 

Change the oven to broil.  Overlap eggplant slices in rows in a large baking dish.  Cover rows with sauce and remaining cheese.  Broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese bubbles and begins to brown.
 

I serve this with salad and French bread, and my Fella doesn't complain that it's meatless - he is as Meat-and-Potatoes as they come.  Any leftovers can be used to make an Eggplant Parmesan sandwich.  Simply put it on a sandwich roll with a little extra sauce and cheese if needed, and toast in a toaster oven or under the broiler.

Enjoy!