Best Baked Eggplant Recipes

BAKED-EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
• Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.
• Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a baking dish with non-stick play.
• Arrange eggplant and tomato slices into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables; season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the entire mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Switch oven broiler to high; continue baking until completely browned, about 5 minutes.

BAKED 'FRIED' BREADED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; coat with about 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
• Combine eggs with a splash of water in a separate shallow dish. Coat both sides of an eggplant slice with the egg mixture. Dip eggplant slice in the bread crumb mixture to coat. Place slice onto the baking sheet. Repeat coating the remaining eggplant slices. Drizzle remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over the breaded slices.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

CRISPY BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, dried onion, and salt.
• In a shallow dish mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning (or just use Italian breadcrumbs).
• Brush eggplant slices with mayonnaise mixture and then coat in breadcrumb mixture.
• Place eggplant slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet or shallow baking dish.
• Bake in hot oven for about 12 to 15 minutes turning about half way through.
• Enjoy!
• (This is a take-off from a recipe I have on a CD called "One Million of the World's Best Recipes", 2000).

ITALIAN BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PARMESAN (PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE)

Steps:

• Place a single layer of eggplant slices in a colander sitting on a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover with a second layer and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Place a plate on top and add a weight to put pressure on the eggplant slices. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Rinse eggplant slices under running cold water to wash off all the salt. Pat dry on all sides with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge eggplant slices in flour on both sides and add to the hot oil, working in batches. Deep fry eggplant until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook garlic and onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, 4 basil leaves, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Discard garlic and stir in remaining 4 leaves basil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with a single layer of eggplant slices. Top with more sauce, mozzarella slices, and Parmesan cheese. Continue making layers, a total of 3 to 5, finishing with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

CHEESY BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
• Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.

LIDIA BASTANICH'S BAKED EGGPLANT IN TOMATO SAUCE (MELANZANE IN T

Steps:

• Trim the stem and bottom ends of each eggplant and, with a vegetable peeler, shave off ribbons of skin lengthwise, creating a zebra-striped pattern all around. Slice the eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Lightly salt the slices on both sides, using about a tablespoon in all, and layer them in a colander, set in a bowl or the sink. Invert a dinner plate over the piled slices, and weight it with cans or other heavy objects. Let the rounds drain for 30 minutes to an hour, then rinse them, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat to 400 degrees F.
• Put the tomato sauce in a bowl, and stir in the olives, sliced pepperoncini capers, and basil. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a baking dish (I used a 9 X 9 dish, but the extra thick layers required an extra 20 minutes of baking time). Lay in half the eggplant slices in a single layer, overlapping if necessary. Drop spoonfuls of tomato sauce, another 1/2 cup total, on top of the eggplant layer, and sprinkle over it half the grated cheese. Lay in the remaining eggplant rounds in an even layer, spoon and spread the remaining sauce over them, and scatter the rest of the cheese all over the top.
• Tent the baking dish with a sheet of heavy aluminum foil, arching it so it doesn't touch the cheese topping, pressing it against the sides. Set the dish on a baking sheet, place in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, until the juices are bubbling actively. Remove the foil, and continue baking for another 15 minutes or so, until the cheese topping is golden brown and eggplant is caramelized on the edges yet tender and easily pierced with the tip of knife.
• Let the eggplant rest for 20 minutes (to absorb the sauce). Cut portions with a knife, and lift them out with a wide spatula into warm shallow bowls.

BREADED EGGPLANT (OVEN-BAKED)

Steps:

• Start by draining the eggplant: layer sliced eggplant with gentle sprinkle of salt in a colander and place a plate or lid on top). The eggplant will leak out about 2 tbs. of moisture (about a half hour-sometimes I just do set it about 15 minutes and that seems to work, too).
• I lightly wipe excess salt off with damp paper towel.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with half the oil and heat in oven while dipping/breading the eggplant.
• Mix together flour and pepper and put in large Zip-lock bag.
• Mix Parmesan and bread crumbs and put in pie plate.
• Dipping process:.
• Place about 10 slices at a time in flour and shake to coat lightly.
• Dip eggplant in beaten egg (I use a cereal bowl to dip).
• Dredge in bread crumb mixture.
• Line, without overlapping, eggplant onto cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 10-15 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned, and flip and finish cooking the other side.
• Repeat with remaining eggplant.
• Remove and cool on a wire rack.

BAKED-EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
• Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.
• Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.
• Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.
• Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.
• By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH GROUND BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Put bread crumbs in a bowl with enough water to cover; set aside to soak.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, and garlic in hot oil until the beef is completely browned and no large chunks remain, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir eggplant into ground beef mixture; cook and stir until eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside to allow mixture to cool.
• Drain excess water from bread crumbs and dump into a large bowl; add ground beef mixture, half the tomatoes, rice, Italian cheese blend, egg, and basil. Stir the mixture until ingredients are evenly mixed, adding more liquid from the tomatoes if too dry; season with salt and pepper. Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture and put into a large baking dish. Top with remaining tomatoes and cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove foil, and continue baking until beginning to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes more.

BAKED PASTA WITH TOMATOES AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Make sure your oven is clean!) Place three (6-inch) gratin dishes on a sheet pan and set aside.
• Boil a large pot of water, add a tablespoon of salt, and add the pasta. If you're using one type of pasta, cook it for 1 to 2 minutes less than the directions on the package. If you're using two kinds of pasta, start with the one that cooks longest and add the second later so they finish at the same time. You want the pasta to be quite al dente. Drain.
• Pour the Tomato and Eggplant Soup into a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and toss well. Divide the mixture evenly among the three gratin dishes, dot the tops with the butter, and bake for 10 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the pasta begins to brown. Sprinkle each dish with 1 tablespoon of the remaining Parmesan, bake for another 4 minutes, and serve hot.
• Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add a little more olive oil if the eggplant is sticking.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, add the onions and fennel, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Pour the can of whole tomatoes, including the liquid, into a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes and the liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PORTABELLAS AND TOMATO SAUCE (VEGETARIAN)

Steps:

• Grease a 2-3-quart oval baking dish (I use my Le Creuset cookware for this recipe!).
• Set oven to broiler heat.
• Grease a large baking sheet.
• Brush each side of eggplant slices with olive oil, then season lightly with salt and black pepper.
• Arrange the eggplant slices on the baking sheet; broil for 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
• In a large skillet heat 2-4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add in onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, chili flakes (if using) and mushrooms; saute for about 7-8 minutes, or until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates, season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• Spread HALF the mushroom mixture on the bottom of the dish.
• Arrange HALF the eggplant slices over the mushroom mixture.
• Top with HALF of the tomato sauce and about 1-1/2 cups of the mozza cheese.
• Spread the remaining mushroom mixture over the mozza cheese; top with remaining eggplant slices, then top with remaining tomato sauce.
• Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 1 hour.
• Remove then sprinkle with about 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and about 1-1/2 cups mozza cheese.
• Return to oven uncovered for another 5-6 minutes or until the cheese melts.
• Let stand about 10-15 minutes before serving.
• Delicious!

BAKED FRIED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• Wash eggplant and slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. In a medium bowl, stir together the egg and sour cream until well blended. Toss the eggplant slices with the flour to coat. Dip one slice at a time into the batter then coat with the seasoned bread crumbs. Place coated eggplant onto the prepared cookie sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the slices over and continue to cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until both sides are brown and crisp.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH RICOTTA, MOZZARELLA AND ANCHOVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Season eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange half the eggplant slices in one layer on bottom of dish, overlapping slices slightly. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper to taste and scatter onion slices evenly over surface.
• With a small spoon, distribute the ricotta in little blobs evenly over surface, then arrange half the smoked mozzarella over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated provolone.
• Make another layer of overlapping slices with remaining seasoned eggplant. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Top surface evenly with remaining smoked mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with Parmesan and pecorino. Arrange anchovy fillets over top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until eggplant is quite tender when pierced with a fork and top is crisp and golden. (If top seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees.) Remove from oven, dust with oregano and let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares. The dish is best served at room temperature, not piping hot.

BAKED EGGPLANT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the panko crumbs, salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Place the flour in a third bowl. Coat each slice of eggplant with flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg, and finally coat with panko crumbs. Place on the oiled baking sheets.
• Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over the slices and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly, but leave the oven on.
• While the eggplant is baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until almost tender, then add the garlic. Cook for just about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese, provolone cheese, parsley and basil. Season with pepper.
• Divide the cheese mixture among 8 slices of the eggplant (half). Spread to cover, then top with remaining eggplant slices, pressing to compact. Return to the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is crisp, about 15 minutes. Place two sandwiches onto each serving plate, and drizzle with pomegranate molasses.

BAKED ANGEL HAIR WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat 1/3 cup of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the eggplant and toss to coat in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute the eggplant until it is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium. Add half of the garlic and saute until it is tender, about 2 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining eggplant and garlic.
• Add the sausage and wine to the same frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine evaporates and the sausage is brown, breaking the sausage into pieces with the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper to the eggplant mixture, and toss to combine.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is still slightly crunchy and undercooked. Drain. Toss the angel hair with the eggplant mixture. Cool completely. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and toss to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 1/2-inch square. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the rim. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan. Place the second pastry sheet atop the pasta filling. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1-inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the pan sides and serve.

LUBY'S BAKED EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bake Mexican cornbread per packet directions. Cut into halves after baking as you will only use 1/2 (approx 8x4x1").
• Note: If you know how to make Mexican cornbread from scratch, it's better than the individual packets, but the packets will do. Slice bacon into small 1/8-1/4" pieces and fry in a deep skillet until almost done (brown but not crispy).
• Dice eggplant, onion, and tomato into 1/4-1/2" pieces.
• Add first onion to skillet and saute about 5 minutes on med-low. Add eggplant, tomato, salt, pepper, garlic powder, corn, margarine and saute another 5-7 minutes. Everything is now becoming transparent and starting to mesh together nicely.
• Add chicken or celery soup, mix in, then add American cheese and stir until cheese has fully melted into mixture.
• Take half the cornbread you baked, crumble it, and stir into the mixture. Pour into 9x3" round casserole dish or comparable square one and cover with foil.
• Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until internal temperature is 165°F Remove foil and cover with shredded cheddar for final 10 minutes of baking. Do not let cheddar turn dark.

OVEN BAKED LAMB WITH EGGPLANT, PEPPERS & SPICES

Steps:

• Place oil in a pan with all of the spices and tomato paste, and heat for 2-3 minutes until an aroma starts to develop.
• Place the meat in a casserole or oven-proof dish and pour over the hot spice mixture. Work through the meat.
• Mix in all the other ingredients aside from the fresh herbs and lemon zest.
• Cover tightly and bake for 2 hours at 150°C until lamb is meltingly tender.
• Just before serving mix through lemon zest and chopped herbs. Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Recipe easily doubles (trebles!) - cook in a covered roasting dish.
• Substitute beef for the lamb and add other vegetables such as zucchini, mixed peppers or okra.
• The Vegetarian Variation: Use a cup or two of cooked chickpeas instead of the meat along with your choice of vegies (but think mediterranean).

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Arrange eggplant slices on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes per side.
• Turn off broiler and heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange 1/2 of the eggplant slices in a single layer in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro, garlic, and 1/2 cup Gouda cheese. Top with the remaining eggplant slices and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes.