Taya's House Eggplant Parmesan

This meal is home to me. It was my favorite dinner to make and eat growing up.  I used to make this with loads of cheese and used a big spoon to scoop the ooey gooey mess onto a plate. It was divine!  I have since toned down the amount of cheese, without sacrificing any taste.

This dish takes about 2 hours to put together plus almost another hour to cook, so be sure to grab a glass of wine while you're making it!

Serves 6-8

For the eggplant:
2 medium eggplants
1 1/4 cups unbleached A/P flour
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
Olive oil for frying

Slice the eggplants into 1/8-1/4" rounds.  In one bowl, beat the eggs. Set aside.  In another bowl, combine the flour and all spices.

Heat a sauté pan or griddle over medium heat.  Add a good amount of olive oil. The eggplant will soak a lot of it up. Take a slice of eggplant, dip it into the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Now dip it into the eggs, and then back into the flour mixture.  Place it on the hot pan. Fry on both sides until golden brown and soft. Continue with all of the eggplant slices. As they are done cooking, place them on a paper towel lined plate, continue stacking the eggplant with paper towels as needed. Set aside when they are all cooked.

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1-1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, to taste
4 cups fresh or canned crushed tomatoes

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté stirring occasionally for a few minutes. Add all of the spices and the garlic. Sauté again a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes and turn the heat down to low to simmer the sauce for about 15-20 minutes.

For assembly:
2 cups smoked provolone or mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

In a large baking dish (9 x 13) or casserole, place a layer of 1/3 of the eggplant, then 1/3 of the sauce, and then 1/4 of the smoked provolone or mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times, finishing the top with the remaining cheeses.  If the 1/3 layers are not appropriate for your casserole dish, just layer as evenly as possible. This bakes together and will taste wonderful no matter what.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and has formed a nice top crust. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. This is even better re-heated the next day!

Enjoy!