EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Happy Labor Day everyone! I am off from work today but I still need to labor around my house. Everyone still expects food and clean clothes at the very least. So I am brining some chicken right now to be put out on the grill later this afternoon. I hear it is supposed to keep the chicken really moist and not dry out and become stringy. So I thought about putting some side dishes in my crock pots because I do plan on some pool time today. One of my favorite side dishes is eggplant parmesan. Ok, I have a confession.  I actually made this last week when the Food Network was tweeting about eggplants being friend or foe. I thought about it a while and decided that I loved eggplant whether it was fried or put into a casserole. So I got out my recipe for oven baked eggplant parmesan. I decided I was too lazy to fry it so I just put everything in the crock pot and of course it turned out so tender and cheesy we ate it all. I think for casseroles the longer something cooks together it gives the flavors a chance to infuse properly.  Eggplants are in season right now and this recipe was so good that I am making it again today. So my pictures will be from last week’s dinner. This recipe would also work really well for a Meatless Monday if you doubled it. I have even heard of people putting tofu in it as protein or even beans. I have tried mixing Italian sausage in it but I really prefer it without any meat. So I think if eggplant is your friend you would really enjoy this recipe. Takes a little time to prepare but since we cut out the frying it can go together much quicker without all the mess.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant

1 can of petite cut tomatoes

½ onion, chopped

½ of a green bell pepper chopped

1 ½ cup of grated cheese ( I used mozzarella this time, sometimes I use cheddar or whatever you have on hand)

1 cup of breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. of Italian seasoning

1 egg

DIRECTION: I used my 2 quart crock pot for this recipe. If you doubled it a  4-5 quart crock pot would be big enough.  First I peeled my eggplant because I wasn’t going to fry it first and I don’t care for the skins. Then slice it and salt it and leave it to sit for 30 minutes. This will help pull out any bitter taste in the eggplant and allow it to be tender and not so mushy after cooking. Next scramble the egg in a small bowl and set to the side. Then take the breadcrumbs and add the Italian seasonings and salt and pepper on a small plate. Wipe the moisture from the eggplants. Then dip the slices in egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs and place in the crock pot. Remember to spray the crock pot with PAM first. Then add some chopped onion and bell pepper, then some tomatoes, and top with some cheese. Then repeat the layers until out of eggplant with the last layer cheese. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.