Eggplant Parmesan Towers are similar to the traditional recipe, however, they are grilled instead of fried. Eggplant parmesan is one of my all time favorite dishes. I could eat it everyday. Sometimes we don’t have the time to go through the lengthy process required to make a pan of eggplant parmesan. This led to me looking for a shortcut. I thought, why not try grilling the eggplant. Let me see if I could reach the same basic result as fried eggplant.
Instead of frying the eggplant I grilled them. Doing this cuts out dredging and frying the eggplant which saves a lot of time. The great thing is you can have eggplant parmesan towers on the table in about 20 minutes. You have sauce and cheese just like eggplant parmesan. Since there is no breading, I made a breadcrumb and herb topping to give that crunchy element.
Not only is grilling less time consuming then frying, it’s healthier. You lower your risk for for developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. If you are looking for a healthier version of eggplant parmesan, look no further.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 or more eggplants
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs – gluten and dairy free
- basil, fresh or dried
- parsley, fresh or dried
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- salt
- pepper
- parmesan cheese – gluten and dairy free
- mozzarella cheese – gluten and dairy free
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE
- crushed tomatoes
- garlic, minced (split the clove between breadcrumbs and sauce)
- salt
- basil
- parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a grill pan on medium heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil.
In a small pot add the ingredients for the sauce and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
You can either peel the skin on the eggplant or leave it on. When making eggplant parmesan towers you want to slice the pieces to about a 1/2 inch thick. Salt the eggplant and let sit for about 10 minutes, then dry off the excess moisture. Brush each piece with olive oil on both sides. Once the pan is hot cook the eggplant for 3 minutes, flip and cook another 3 minutes.
Get out a sheet pan and line it with parchment paper or foil and transfer the grilled eggplant to this tray. Over each piece put sauce, parmesan cheese, and then mozzarella cheese. Put this in the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes.
While that’s cooking you can make the breadcrumb mixture. In a frying pan add a little olive oil, margarine, breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until breadcrumbs start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stir to make sure everything gets crisp. When they turn a golden brown color they are done.
Now it’s time to stack the eggplant parmesan towers. Put one slice of eggplant on the plate, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over top, and repeat. I stacked mine two pieces high. Don’t forget the breadcrumbs as they replace the breading. Your end result should look like this.
These eggplant parmesan towers are visually appealing and they taste amazing. You still get all the elements of eggplant parmesan, yet it’s a healthier version.