Taking crispy gone soggy to the next level.
Some people will tell you not to mess with a good thing. They’re the people who insist on eating the exact same side dishes each Thanksgiving, with zero variation. Roasted sweet potatoes with chili butter? They might be good. But they’re just not the traditional casserole. Don’t mess with a good thing.
I love tradition, and I especially love traditional foods: pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, frosted sugar cookies at Christmas. But I also believe that our love of tradition shouldn’t prevent us from exploring new options.
Eggplant Parm was the first dish my husband and I cooked together. Traditional Eggplant Parmesan, that is: fried eggplant layered with shredded mozzarella and silky smooth marinara, baked in a 9 x 13 casserole. Absolutely delicious. However . . .
When I decided to put it on the blog, I realized I didn’t want to stick with the casserole format, just because it was traditional. What other, equally delicious options were out there? Could I bake individual Eggplant Parm stacks, like savory Napoleans? Could I make eggplant “fries,” toss them in sauce and cheese, and bake them off just like baked ziti? After a lot of thought—I do not take departure from tradition lightly!—I decided on this Sheet Pan Eggplant Parm.
I love this Eggplant Parm for a few reasons. I love that, once the eggplant has been fried and the sauce is made, it reaches the table in only a few minutes: you don’t have to wait for the casserole to bake and then set up enough to be cut. I love that everyone gets their own personal cutlet (or two or three), so they can request more or less cheese or sauce, according preference. I love that any leftover eggplant can be refrigerated and then assembled and broiled off as needed later. Most importantly, I love it for how gosh-darn delicious it is!
Crispy fried eggplant cutlets smothered in chunky rich tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, and broiled until the cheese bubbles and browns. The edges of the eggplant cutlet stay crispy, while the middle softens under that rich tomato sauce and gooey cheese. A single bite is crunchy and creamy, rich and gooey, all at the same time.
Tradition-Breaking Rule Number 1: if you’re gonna mess with tradition, your new riff must taste just as delicious, or even better, than the original.
I’m confident Sheet Pan Eggplant Parm does. If you don’t believe me, try it and see for yourself!
Enjoy!
Sheet Pan Eggplant Parm
Makes ~18 slices (serves 6-8)
For the tomato sauce:
2 28-oz can peeled whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon lemon juice
For the eggplant:
1 globe eggplant (1 ½ - 2 pounds)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed
Pepper
3-4 eggs, divided
2 ½ cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs, divided
1 to 1 ½ cup vegetable oil, divided
For assembly:
1 ½ cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (not from the can)
Fresh basil, for garnish
Special equipment: sheet pan, wire baking rack, paper towels
Method
For the tomato sauce:
Drain tomatoes, reserving the juice, and chop into 1-inch pieces. Add chopped tomatoes back to the reserved juice and set aside.
Heat a large metal pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat; add garlic cloves and saute until golden brown and fragrant. Do not over-brown.
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally and mashing down on the tomato pieces, for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the tomatoes have broken down slightly, leaving a chunky thick sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust with salt or lemon juice as needed.
Leave to cool to room temperature before refrigerating in an airtight container until needed.
For the eggplant:
Trim the top and bottom of the eggplant and slice into ¾-inch thick rounds. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit 30-60 minutes so the salt can pull the water out of the eggplant (a wire rack set over a sheet pan works great for this).
Meanwhile, prepare the breading station using three large flat dishes with sides, such as pie tins. Add the flour to the first dish, and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Whisk two eggs and add to the second tin. Add ½ cup breadcrumbs to the third tin. Place another ½ cup in a large plastic bag, seal, and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are crushed to a fine powder. Add the pulverized breadcrumbs to the whole crumbs in the tin and mix well.
Add ¼- ½ inch vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottom metal or cast iron pan. (There should be enough oil to prevent the eggplant from touching the bottom of the pan when you put it in. I used ¼ cup in my 10-inch cast iron pan, and added more in ¼ cup increments as I needed it). Heat the oil on medium-high heat until a breadcrumb sizzles when you drop it in.
Use a paper towel to dry the eggplant slices, pressing down firmly to absorb as much moisture as possible. Working one at a time, dip the dried slices into the flour. Shake off the excess flour, then dip into the egg. Shake off any extra egg bits, then set down into the breadcrumbs. Turn once, patting firmly to encourage the breadcrumbs to adhere.
Fry the cutlets in the heated oil for 1 ½- 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. Remove fried eggplant slices to a paper towel-lined sheet pan or a wire rack; sprinkle with kosher salt and leave to cool slightly.
Through the breading and frying, add more oil to the pan if it starts getting low and replenish the whisked eggs and breadcrumbs as needed (in the case of the breadcrumbs, make sure you use half pulverized and half whole breadcrumbs).
These cutlets are best eaten on the day they’re fried, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, with the layers separated by foil. They may seem to get a bit soft in the refrigerator, but they will crisp up again when you broil them with the sauce and the cheese.
To assemble:
Preheat the broiler.
In a large bowl, mix together mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Lay eggplant cutlets on sheet pan, leaving about an inch of space between them. Top each cutlet with a layer of sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese blend.
Broil 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese melted and browning on spots. Remove from oven, garnish with basil and serve immediately.
Originally posted September 10, 2020.
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