Delicious Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan
July 22, 2019
I'd never really tried Eggplant Parmesan until I was well into adulthood, so it's no surprise my sons won't give it a fair shot. But I love it. So when I saw some beautiful eggplants in the grocery store last week, I got a craving. I rarely make it, and I figured I'd go to the effort even if my husband and I were the only ones who would enjoy it. The great thing is...I almost always have all the ingredients for this recipe on hand, except for the eggplant.
I'd gotten a fantastic tip from an Italian friend years ago...she told me to slice the eggplant thin and let it soak in milk for at least several hours before preparing the recipe. This is supposed to take the bitterness out of the eggplant. And it totally works!
The recipe that follows is just adapted from the recipe we use for Chicken Parmesan, and I essentially "wing it." So I don't have measurements. It depends on how much you're making. I found that one eggplant is plenty to make a 9 x 12 casserole of Eggplant Parmesan for four people.
Here are the steps I follow.
1.) Preheat oven to 390 degrees.
2.) Slice one eggplant into thin circles and soak in a casserole dish, bowl, or even a Ziploc bag full of milk for at least several hours. (Keep it in the refrigerator.)
3.) When you are ready to start preparing the recipe, take the soaking eggplant out of the refrigerator and take each slice out of the milk, one by one, and dip into a shallow plate of gluten free all-purpose flour. Coat both sides.
4.) Next, dip into a shallow plate of raw eggs, scrambled. Again, coat both sides.
5.) Finally, dip into a shallow plate of gluten free breadcrumbs, coating both sides. (I used Aleia's brand GF breadcrumbs.)
6.) Lightly sauté the eggplant, 4-5 slices at a time, in a large saute pan with a little bit of olive oil. Slightly brown each side.
7.) Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12 casserole dish, and lay the sautéed eggplant on top. Continue sautéing all the eggplant and laying the pieces in the casserole.
8.) Spread tomato sauce on top of eggplant (the amount of sauce is up to you). Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese (again, the amount depends on your personal preference). See below.
9.) Bake at 390 degrees for about 40 minutes. (Remove foil in last 10 minutes.)
10.) Serve with a salad, another green veggie, or even some gluten free pasta or gluten free bread. Enjoy!