The last time I made the most outstanding eggplant parmesan was when I went to visit some of my friends in Texas. It was the first time I had ever made and had it, but I have to say, I couldn’t eat enough of it. To think that I changed this recipe to be gluten-free, which was wonderfully awesome, and I was so glad because they ate two servings of it!
I will admit, I just recreated this recipe. As you might probably know, I do have a lot of experience with eggplant recipes, and I want to make some twists with this eggplant parmesan recipe. The result? It is saucy… cheesy… just plain goodness!!
Healthy Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant (brinjal, aubergine, or guinea squash)
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ pound ground beef (minced beef)
- 1 small yellow onion - minced
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 jar Marinara sauce (tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions – pasta sauce in southern hemisphere for Italian seafood dish) - your favorite sauce
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 medium egg - beaten
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - for frying eggplant
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese - grated
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese - shredded
Instructions
- Slice eggplant in ½ to 1 inch thick rounds.
- Place a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides with salt. Allow sitting for 1 hour.
- In a medium saucepan, brown the ground beef. When beef is almost completely brown, drain the beef and add the onion to the saucepan. Continue to cook till the onion is softened.
- When the onion is softened, and the meat is browned, stir in the garlic and black pepper and continue to cook for another minute or two.
- Add spaghetti sauce. Simmer the sauce on low till ready to use, occasionally stirring.
- In three containers, add gluten-free all-purpose flour and black pepper to taste.
- In the next container, add the beaten eggs and milk, and beat again.
- In the next container, add the Kinnikinnick Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs. Mix in the oregano, thyme, and garlic powder.
- In a medium to a large skillet, heat up the pan and vegetable oil. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- While the skillet is heating up, rinse the eggplant under cool water and gently wipe off the excess salt. Pat dry on paper towels.
- When oil is ready, dredge the eggplant in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Dip the eggplant rounds in the egg mixture, making sure both sides are well coated.
- Coat the egg-covered eggplant in the breadcrumbs and make sure all sides are completely covered.
- Put the breaded crumbs into the hot oil. Brown on both sides. When lightly brown and crispy, place on a wire baking rack.
- Repeat the process until all eggplant is done.
- To assemble the dish, in an 8X8 baking dish, spoon 1 cup of the pasta sauce into the bottom of the dish.
- Please put one layer of the fried eggplant pieces.
- Top eggplant pieces with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and ⅓ cup of parmesan.
- Top cheese layer with another cup of spaghetti sauce.
- Top this layer of sauce with another cup of mozzarella and ⅓ cup of parmesan.
- Repeat the process, starting with another layer of eggplant. Ending with the cheese layer.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can place the broiler on high for an additional 5 minutes to get the cheese extra browned if desired.
- Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy hot with Gluten-Free garlic bread!!