Fancied-up vegetables are a great way to appeal to your friends and family when they’re trying to eat healthier. (Check out our Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread for another favorite.) We use four different kinds of cheese to add four levels of awesome to this classic dish, and this is one I teach children when talking about healthy eating.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into ⅓-inch-thick rounds
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1½ cups dry bread crumbs
- 3 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 cups prepared marinara sauce
- 8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
- Fresh thyme, for garnish
How to Make It
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle the salt over the eggplant and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat dry.
- In a shallow dish or pie plate, whisk together the eggs and milk. In another shallow dish or pie plate, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Spray the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off, then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing to coat.
- Layer one-third of the eggplant over the sauce. Top with 1 cup of the remaining marinara sauce and dollop with 1⁄3 of the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1⁄3 of the mozzarella and layer with 1⁄3 of the provolone. Repeat these layers twice more.
- Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.
