garden fresh eggplant parmesan

i had some small eggplants to use up last week, and was unsure of what to do with them, so i decided to go with eggplant parmesan. i have made eggplant parmesan in the past, and it has always been pretty hit or miss. i've always baked it in an attempt to be healthier, but this time i decided just to fry it and see how it would turn out. i was much happier with how it turned out this time than i have been in the past! rather than baking the eggplant on a pan and then baking it in a dish with sauce and cheese casserole-style, this dish can all be done in the same skillet on the stovetop.

here is my recipe. i didn't measure things out, so the amounts below are rough estimates.

I N G R E D I E N T S :

eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/8"-1/4" slices
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (i used some italian bread crumbs i had on hand. you can also use regular bread crumbs and add some italian seasoning)
canola oil (enough to generously coat your skillet to where it is about 1/8" deep)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (here is the recipe i used)
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
pasta

D I R E C T I O N S :

pour milk into one bowl, and in another bowl combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

dip eggplant slices in milk, and then coat with bread crumb and parmesan cheese mixture. set slices aside.

in a large nonstick skillet, pour enough oil to be 1/8" deep, and heat on medium-high.

once the oil is heated, place the eggplant slices in, side by side. cook on each side until golden, about 5 or so minutes per side. you want the slices to be cooked through, otherwise the eggplant will have a rubbery texture. if the eggplant starts getting too brown before it is cooked through, turn down the heat a little bit.

once the eggplant slices are cooked and golden, reduce heat to low. add 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce to the skillet. add a layer or mozzarella cheese on top, and then sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese. let this simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

while this is simmering, cook any pasta you would like to accompany this dish.