Eggplant Bake Cheese (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Eggplant Coating

01 - 2 big eggplants, sliced into rounds about ¼ inch thick
02 - 2 eggs, whisked
03 - ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
04 - 1½ cups panko crumbs
05 - 1¼ cups shredded Parmesan, split into portions
06 - 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
07 - 2 tablespoons thyme leaves, freshly picked
08 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus extra to taste
10 - Fresh black pepper, ground
11 - Olive oil (extra virgin) for drizzling

→ Assembly Ingredients

12 - 28 ounces of marinara sauce
13 - 2 large mozzarella balls, sliced thin
14 - ⅓ cup basil leaves, fresh

# Instructions:

01 - Turn on your oven to 400°F and cover two baking trays with parchment so nothing sticks.
02 - In a shallow dish, blend the almond milk with the whisked eggs until it's nice and smooth.
03 - Grab another dish and toss together the panko crumbs, 1 cup Parmesan, thyme, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and a good grind of black pepper.
04 - Each eggplant slice goes into the egg mix first, then gets a coating of the breadcrumb mixture. Lay them out on the baking trays and drizzle some olive oil over each.
05 - Cook the eggplant in the oven for about 18 minutes, or until they look soft and slightly golden.
06 - In a baking dish (8x12 or 9x13 is ideal), spread ½ cup marinara sauce across the bottom. Layer in half of the baked eggplant, pour on 1 cup marinara, and place half the mozzarella slices. Do one more layer with the remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan on top, drizzle olive oil, and add a little pinch of sea salt.
07 - Bake the dish for 20 minutes until the cheese is fully melted. Then broil it for 2-4 minutes to get that crispy, bubbly golden cheese layer.
08 - Pull it out of the oven and toss some fresh basil leaves on top before enjoying.

# Notes:

01 - This healthier, oven-baked Eggplant Parmesan works great when you're feeding a crowd or throwing a family dinner.
02 - To save time, you can coat the eggplant slices a day ahead, pop them in the fridge, and bake when ready.

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