I developed this recipe one summer when my husband grew eggplant in the garden. I was thrilled when the parmigiana won high honors at a national beef contest. —Celeste Copper, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Beefy Eggplant Parmigiana
Beefy Eggplant Parmigiana
Prep Time
1 hour 10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- Additional canola oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- Minced fresh parsley
Directions
- In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and garlic powder in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Discard bay leaf.
- In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain and set aside. In a shallow dish, combine flour and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Place buttermilk in another shallow dish. Dip eggplant into buttermilk, then into flour mixture.
- In a large skillet, cook eggplant in batches in 1/2 in. hot oil until golden brown on each side; drain.
- Place half the eggplant in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with half the Parmesan cheese, beef and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining eggplant, Parmesan cheese, beef and tomato mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition Facts
1 cup: 498 calories, 33g fat (8g saturated fat), 58mg cholesterol, 841mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 22g protein.
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