This classic dish is a little time consuming but we promise at the end it'll all be worth it! Crispy, buttery eggplant with an Elijah's Xtreme Hot Sauce seasoned marinara sauce, all covered in gooey cheese baked to perfection!
Category
Entre
Servings
8-10
Prep Time
1 minute
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch thick round slices
1 Tbsp salt + as needed
5 cups breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Black pepper
Vegetable oil
All purpose flour
6 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp whole milk
Olive oil, as needed
7 cups marinara sauce mixed with Elijah's Xtreme Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
2/3 cup grated parmesan
1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Directions
Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheets and sprinkle generously with salt. Let eggplant sit for 1 hr after.
Transfer eggplant to a colander and rinse under cold water. Pat very dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ tsp salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme and pepper.
Place the flour in a bowl or plate. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Dip eggplant slice in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess and repeat with the rest of the eggplant slices.
In a skillet, pour about ½ inches of oil. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 400F. Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat for the remaining eggplant.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly brush a baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with ⅓ of the marinara hot sauce mixture, then arrange the eggplant and cover with another ⅓ of the sauce mixture. Scatter half of the parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce mixture, parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!