Skillet Eggplant Parmesan - Everyday Annie

At the moment, our family is in a time of major transition. I’m getting ready to take, yes, another set of medical boards. We are getting ready to move to a new (to us) home in the midst of numerous renovations and updates to the house. And, I’ll be starting my new job very soon. It’s stressful and exciting and overwhelming. At times like these, after hours of cramming in all the productivity we possibly can and more scrounged up PB&J meals than ever, all I want is comfort food. For me, tomato sauce and melted cheese are the epitome of comfort food.

I first tried this skillet version of eggplant parmesan a few months ago and I can honestly say, I don’t think I’ll ever bother with a traditional version again. The eggplant slices are roasted before the whole dish is baked all together so it still has excellent texture. No extra time or effort needed breading the eggplant and I don’t miss it at all. Now that eggplants are starting to come into season, it’s time to take advantage. If you love eggplant parm, you will love this simple version! Once we are all settled in our new home, I’m sure I’ll be making this ASAP. What better way to make the new house feel like home than to fill it with good cooking smells, right?

Prep about 20 minutes
Cook 60-70 minutes
Yield about 6 servings

Ingredients

2 large eggplants (about 3 lbs. total), sliced into ½-inch thick slices
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2¼ cups tomato sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

01
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Lay the eggplant slices out on baking sheets in a single layer. Brush lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, flip and repeat on the other side of all the slices. Roast, flipping halfway through the baking time, until slightly soft and golden brown, about 35 minutes total. Increase the oven temperature to 400˚ F.
02
Spoon 1¼ cups of the tomato sauce in a large deep sauté pan. (A casserole dish works just as well.) Layer half of the eggplant slices evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with a third of the grated Parmesan and half of the mozzarella. Spread another 1 cup of sauce over the cheese, the remaining eggplant slices, another third of the Parmesan and the remaining mozzarella. Top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
03
Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm.

Source

adapted from Feast by Sarah Copeland