Cooking Lesson #716: Air Fried Eggplant Parmesan

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Did you know that if your oven has a convection setting it is as good as an air fryer? So don’t go buying another appliance that you probably don’t have room to store. If you have an older oven that does not have the convection option and you want to fry healthfully then purchase an air fryer on Amazon—some are available for about $100.
 
You can air fry “fried foods” that can be oil free and grease free, yet they will come out perfectly crisp and crunchy. This is possible because of the high volume of air that is generated by your convection oven or air fryer.
 
My Air Fried Eggplant Parmesans are delicious and healthy by themselves eaten right out of the air fryer or, adding a few more calories topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Either way you’ll find yourself coming back to this recipe time and time again.  
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder (I prefer Penzey’s)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large beaten eggs
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 cup marinara sauce, or more to taste (I prefer Rao’s marinara sauce)
8 slices mozzarella cheese, or as desired
 
Directions

1. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings in a shallow bowl.
2. Place flour in a separate shallow bowl and beaten eggs in a third shallow bowl.
3. Dredge the sliced eggplant, first in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs and finally coat with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Place coated eggplant rounds on a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. This will hold the coating on when cooking.
5. Preheat an air fryer or convection oven to 375⁰.
6. Place breaded eggplant rounds in the air fryer basket or on a rack in a convection oven, making sure they are not touching; work in batches if necessary.
7. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turn each round over and cook the other side until the desired crispiness is achieved; 4 to 6 minutes more.
8. Top each eggplant round with marinara sauce and 1 slice mozzarella cheese.
9. Place basket back in the air fryer or oven and cook until cheese has started to melt, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
10. Repeat with remaining eggplant, if necessary.

ChefSecret:  Let this breading procedure be your wing stop as well. Use the same preparation procedure for air frying chicken wings or tenders. Check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it reaches 165⁰ F.

Quip of the Day:  Q. “What is a huge hen house called? A. An Eggplant!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #EggplantParmesan #AirFryer #ConvectionOven #Penzeys #RaosSauce #Eggplant #Parmesan #Dinner #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
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