This Eggplant Casserole is my very favorite way to cook eggplant. It is a Baked Eggplant Parmesan that is stacked in a deep casserole dish. Cooking is all done in the oven, so the recipe is not greasy at all.
The Parmesan eggplant casserole is fabulous served as a vegetarian main course, buffet item or makes a great side dish for a big Italian meal.
Eggplant Casserole
While I enjoy regular Eggplant Parmesan, preparing fresh eggplant as a casserole in delicate stacks of many eggplant layers is one of my very favorite comfort foods. The dish is perfect for sharing with family and friends. It is a big and filling recipe, so even with guests there are sure to be lots of leftovers. The casserole dish also reheats very well (though I've been know to eat it cold straight out of the fridge).
A small slice will be satisfying for most people, but they will be likely to want a container to take home for later. Due to the reduced fat in this vegetarian casserole, and how filling it is, I've deemed it a light recipe.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Though I love Eggplant Casserole, many times it is far too greasy or the eggplant is tough and chewy or too dry. The ingredients to make the casserole are inexpensive, but it can be quite costly to buy ready made. For both reasons, I prefer to make it at home, despite how time consuming this baked eggplant parmesan casserole can be to make. I completely think it is worth the extra effort, and although it takes some time, the casserole isn't difficult to make at all.
How to Make Eggplant Casserole
A visual guide to making the baked eggplant parmesan. While there are quite a few steps, the recipe is actually easy to make, just time consuming. Baking the eggplant slices makes burning or loss of coating far less likely. Full printable casserole recipe below.
The eggplant casserole recipe makes 12 servings.
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Equipment needed:
- large baking dish such as a lasagna pan
- oil mister or basting brush
- sheet pans
- large sauce pot
Ingredients for Eggplant Casserole:
- 2 large eggplants or 3-4 medium eggplants
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons per sheet pan and some for misting or basting
- 8 ounces sliced provolone
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
For Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1½ cups sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 56 oz Crushed Tomatoes (2 large cans)
- 12 oz Tomato Paste (2 small cans)
- generous handful of fresh basil coarsely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions for Eggplant Casserole
To start: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prep Eggplant Slices
Cut off the top & bottom of each eggplant, and slice lengthwise into ¼-1/3 inch slabs.
Set up for a 3 bowl station for breading the eggplant: Place the flour in 1st bowl, beat eggs and milk together in the second bowl, and pour the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese third bowl and mix together.
Dredge each slice of eggplant in flour, then egg wash, and finally the crumbs.
Pro Tip: Pay attention to dedicating one hand to keep one hand dry, while the other gets wet. It will make the process so much easier and less messy. (Keep a towel handy, as this is rarely a perfect process).
Pour 2 tablespoons of oil onto each baking sheet and spread out. A basting brush is handy for this. (you will probably need to do 3-4 sheets, so I do it in 2 batches)
Place the breaded eggplant on the baking sheets. Stack any that won't fit on a plate, to bake in a second round. Mist or baste the sheeted eggplant slices with olive oil.
Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake another 8 minutes. (if you need to do a second set, wipe the sheets pans down re-oil and repeat the rest of the process.
While eggplant is baking start sauce. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until lightly caramelized. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, cook until the sauce starts to make bubbles, reduce to low and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, then shut off burner and stir in freshly chopped basil.
Remove the baked eggplant slices from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Coat dish with cooking spray it reduce clean-up (optional). Then cover the bottom of a 2 quart lasagna pan or casserole with 1 ½ cups of sauce.
Arrange a layer of eggplant over the tomato sauce, overlap a little if you need to to ensure gaps are filled, top with more sauce, then ½ the provolone. Top with eggplant then sauce then provolone again. Final layer is remaining eggplant and a generous layer of sauce, but no cheese when it goes in the oven.
Place the lasagna pan on a baking sheet (just wipe on of the ones you used down) and bake for 30 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake 10 more minutes.
Allow the casserole a few minutes to cool before slicing to serve.
Tips for Preparing Eggplant Casserole
Two things make this hearty Eggplant Parmesan Casserole recipe an foolproof success:
- Baking rather than frying the eggplant , allows you to easily time the cooking process, to avoid burning. This also keeps your finished dish from being greasy.
- A very simple thick sauce featuring crushed tomatoes & paste, keeps things from getting soggy & guarantees plenty of tomato flavor.
***Kitchen Tip: Get one of these Oil Misters! Save money, use healthy oils, no unnatural propellants & less waste. I LOVE mine & have used it for years. ***
Misto Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer
With eggplant Parmesan like this, you are sure to have a stack of clean plates at the end of the meal. One of my friends ate 4 servings!
Eggplant Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants or 3-4 medium eggplants
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons per sheet pan and some for misting or basting
- 8 oz. sliced provolone
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1½ cups sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 56 oz Crushed Tomatoes (2 large cans)
- 12 oz Tomato Paste (2 small cans)
- generous handful of fresh basil coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut off the top & bottom of each eggplant, and slice lengthwise into ¼-1/3 inch slabs.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of oil onto baking sheets (you will probably need to do 3-4 sheets, so I do it in 2 batches)
- Set up for breading the eggplant: Place flour in 1st bowl, beat eggs and milk in second bowl, and the crumbs with Parmesan cheese are mixed in the 3rd bowl.
- Dredge each slice in flour, the egg wash , then crumbs, paying attention to keep one hand dry, while the other gets wet. (Keep a towel handy, as this is rarely a perfect process).
- Place the slabs on baking sheets. Stack any that won't fit on a plate, to bake in a second round. Mist or baste the sheeted slabs with oil.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake another 8 minutes. (if you need to do a second set, wipe the sheets pans down re-oil and repeat the rest of the process.
- While eggplant is baking start sauce. Saute onion and garlic over med-high heat until caramelized. Add the crushed tomatoes and paste, cook until the sauce starts to bubbles, reduce to low and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, then shut off burner and stir in the basil.
- Remove the baked eggplant slices from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Cover the bottom of a 2 quart lasagna pan with 1 ½ cups of sauce. Then arrange a layer of eggplant, overlap a little if you need to to ensure gaps are filled, top with more sauce, then ½ the provolone. Top with eggplant then sauce then provolone again. Final layer is remaining eggplant and a generous layer of sauce, but no cheese when it goes in the oven.
- Place the lasagna pan on a baking sheet (just wipe on of the ones you used down) and bake for 30 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake 10 more minutes.
- Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
More Delicious Popular Recipes to Try
Home-fried Kielbasa and Potatoes Recipe
Copycat Chik-a-Fil Chicken Salad Recipe: Make Your Own Sandwiches
Lena says
It doesn't have the whole recipe. I've made this before and it had the whole ingredients list but it doesn't anymore. I don't know how much sauce
Robin Gagnon says
Lena,
That part of the ingredients list is now back. Found it with the internet Wayback Machine since it was completely wiped out of my database (I pretty much remembered it, but didn't have a hardcopy). So glad I found it. This has been haunting me.
Liz says
The casserole came out fabulous, just like the Italian deli that closed recently.