Easy, Healthier Baked Eggplant Parmesan
If you’re looking for an easy, healthier version of your favorite eggplant parmesan, this is it! This recipe is made with minimal ingredients, part-skim and reduced fat dairy products and portion controlled so you get the same flavor and protein content as traditional recipes without as many calories or fat.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 cups (~26 oz) lite ricotta cheese part-skim
- 1.5 cups bread crumbs, Italian seasoned
- 24 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp skim milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with Parchment paper then spray with cooking spray.
- Cut the eggplant into~ ½ inch slices, then place each slice on a paper towel.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with ½ tablespoon of the milk. Next, pour the bread crumbs onto a plate or shallow bowl. Use a dry paper towel to pat the eggplant slices, removing as much moisture as possible. Place an eggplant slice in the egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess breadcrumbs then lay it on the baking sheet. Repeat that for each slice of eggplant then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, milk and dried parsley. Stir well then set aside until the eggplant is finished cooking
- Coat the bottom of an 11x14 casserole dish with sauce. Choose the six largest slices of eggplant to lay over the sauce. The 6 pieces should almost cover the bottom of the baking dish. Put a large scoop of the ricotta cheese filling on each eggplant slice, pressing down to cover the eggplant, then pour ~2 tablespoons of sauce over top. Add a second piece of baked eggplant over the sauce, followed by the ricotta mixture and sauce, then a third. . Once you get to the third layer, your eggplant slices should be smaller than the bottom. When you get to this point, you may need to cut them in half and use more than1 slice to create even layering. You should be able to create 6 large pieces of eggplant that are 3 layers tall.
- Pour any remaining sauce over the top of the eggplant then cover with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella, then sprinkle with fresh parsley.
- Cover with a piece of foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil then place back in the oven and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Notes
- Recipe Makes: 6 pieces
- Serving Size: 1 Pieces
- Servings Per Recipe: 6
- Nutrition Facts (per serving): 450 calories, 49 g carbohydrates,5 g fiber, 31 g protein, 16 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol,1,320 mg sodium, 15% DV for potassium, 60% DV for calcium, 15% DV for iron.
- Meal Planning Serving Size: 3 CHO; 4.5 PRO; 3 FAT