Eggplant Parmigiana........ NOT FRIED BUT BAKED!

Are you all getting ready for Christmas?  We sure are over here.  All the decorations are up, and so pretty.  I haven't started my Christmas baking yet, that will start this Sunday.  My son Davey's Christmas Concert was last night, and it was WONDERFUL!  He sang with such emotion, and expression on his face, I couldn't take my eyes off him!  It was a wonderful and festive Christmas Concert, and I will cherish the memories forever!

We are having friends over this weekend, and I plan on making Italian. One of the dishes will be my Eggplant Parmigiana!  I love Eggplant Parmigiana!  But it's a big job, and I don't like frying the Eggplant, the extra calories, and the SMELL of the oil!  So, I came up with this idea years ago to egg them,  bread them, and instead of frying them in oil, put the slices on cookie sheets, brush with Olive Oil, and bake on a high heat for about 15 - 20 minutes and baking on the bottom shelf of the oven is the key, and turning them over once.  What would you know, the Eggplant came out so delicious, and so crispy, that they didn't even make it to Parmigiana, we would eat them right out of the oven!   This recipe is so easy, and so delicious, try it, you will never fry Eggplant again!

Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

2 large Eggplant - peeled and sliced thin into circles
Bread Crumbs starting off with 2 cups (you will need more)
Eggs start off with 4 (you may need more)
1/2 cup milk (you may need more)
Olive Oil starting off with 1 cup (you may need more)

To Make the Eggplant
1. Crack the eggs in a med size bowl and mix up, add the milk, and mix. 
2. Starting with 2 cups of bread crumbs put them on a large plate, or pie plate
3, Start dredging the Eggplant slices, first in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs.
4, Line 4 cookie sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray
5. Put the dredged eggplant slices on the cookie sheets, brush with Olive Oil.  You will have to do this process again until all the eggplant is used up, adding more eggs/milk and bread crumbs when needed.
6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or so, checking them, and turning them over once during the cooking process until crispy! I also rotate the cookie sheets, the cookie sheets on the bottom cook faster.... Don't let them BURN!!!  When they are done, transfer to a plate or rack to cool, and fill up with cooked Eggplant. 

All dredged and waiting to be baked!

All baked and Crispy!

Now if you have any Eggplant left after eating them right out of the oven, you can make the Parmigiana!

You will need:
2 - 3 cups Marinara Sauce - Homemade of course, or just use JAR!!!
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Using a 9x13 baking dish, coat with cooking spray, then add a little sauce on the bottom of the dish, add one layer of baked Eggplant then some Mozzarella cheese, then some sauce, and repeat process 2 more times or so, top with a little sauce you don't want this dish soupy, and the Parmesan Cheese.  Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes! YUMMO!