Light and crispy eggplant parmesan, baked to perfection in your oven. Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan has all the flavour of the classic dish, but it’s baked instead of fried.

Eggplant parmesan is a tasty combination of breaded creamy eggplant topped with rich tomato sauce and creamy melted cheese. The eggplant is often deep fried before it is baked with tomato sauce and cheese.

Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan has all the classic flavour, but it’s baked instead of fried. The secret to this tasty dish is Panko bread crumbs. It gives the eggplant a crisp, almost fried texture without all the unhealthy fat and calories. So, you can enjoy a dish that’s light, crunchy and has a wonderful crispy texture.

How to Cook with Eggplant

Eggplant is a seriously delicious vegetable. When baked it becomes rich and creamy. To give it that perfect consistency, you need to remove some excess water.

Since each slice of eggplant will release water, you’ll want to lay each slice on a piece of paper towel. Just letting the eggplant sit, will help remove some water.

To remove more water, you’ll want to sprinkle each piece with salt. It will not make the dish salty, it will simply help to remove some more water.

After 20 minutes, the paper towel will be quite wet. You can press each slice of eggplant with paper towel to remove more water. Once the towel has absorbed the water, you can wipe away and remove the excess salt.

How to Make Eggplant Parmesan with Panko Breadcrumbs

Once the eggplant is ready, it’s time to make the panko crust. Panko is a perfect topping for eggplant. It gives the eggplant a crisp, almost fried texture without all the unhealthy fat and calories.

Panko is super simple to cook with and the results are amazing! If you haven’t tried it before, panko is a Japanese style of bread crumbs. It’s light, crunchy and has a wonderful crispy texture.

While panko’s texture is perfect for eggplant, you’ll want to add parsley, thyme, and paprika to give it a little more flavour. The parsley and thyme add a wonderful herb flavour while the paprika adds a subtle punch, which perfectly compliments the creamy baked eggplant.

You’ll also want to add a little oil. Oil helps the panko become a little crunchier and gives it that subtle brown appearance, without an oily aftertaste.

How to Make Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan

To give each piece of Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan an even crust, you’ll want to dredge each slice of eggplant into three different mixtures.

You’ll want to use three bowls that are on the smaller side, but big enough to fit a piece of eggplant. The first bowl is filled with flour, the second with egg white, and the third with a panko mixture.

Carefully dredge the eggplant slice in flour. The flour will naturally stick to the eggplant thanks to its natural moisture. You can shake off any excess.

Next, you’ll want to dip the eggplant into the egg whites. The eggs act as a tasty glue, helping the panko mixture stick the eggplant. So, you’re ready to dip it into the panko mixture. You’ll want to make sure that each slice is evenly coated in each of the toppings.

Place the panko covered eggplant on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and your oven will do the rest of the work. As it bakes, your home will be filled with the tasty aroma of eggplant parmesan.

After 20 minutes in the oven, the eggplant is ready for some tomato sauce and cheese. It gives each piece a real boost of flavour. Whether you plan on using jarred or homemade tomato sauce, Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan is sure to please. Simply broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and your dish is done.

Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan can make the perfect entree when you serve it with pasta and a drizzle of extra tomato sauce. Any way you serve it, this healthier eggplant parmesan is one delicious meal.

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Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan

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Enjoy Panko Crusted Eggplant Parmesan as an appetizer or a main course. Everyone will love this light, crispy and healthy meal.

• Author: Jessica
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Appetizer or Main Course

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 eggplant sliced, rounds
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 tablespoons egg whites
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

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Instructions

1. Lay sliced eggplant on paper towel. Top with salt. Sprinkle generously. Cover with a paper towel. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
2. Press paper towel to absorb more water. Wipe salt off the eggplant. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. In a small bowl, combine panko, oil, parsley, thyme, and paprika.
5. In another two bowls, add flour in one and egg whites in another.
6. Dredge eggplant in flour, shake off any excess. Dip it into the egg whites and finally into the panko mixture. Make sure each eggplant slice is evenly coated in each of the toppings.
7. Place eggplant on a parchment paper cover baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until eggplant is golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and top each eggplant with 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce, followed by 1 tablespoon of cheese.
9. Broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
10. Serve with pasta or on its own with extra tomato sauce.
11. Enjoy!

If you love Italian food, you may also enjoy Skinny Alfredo Spaghetti Casserole

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Creamy Avocado Pasta

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Penne Marinara with Tuna Meatballs

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