Eggplant Parmesan with Tomato Meat Sauce
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: eggplant lasagna, eggplant parmesan
Prep Time: 2 hours hours
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 611kcal
Print Recipe
Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups kefir or buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp granulated onion or onion powder
- 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
Tomato and Meat Sauce
- 8 lbs tomatoes cored, blanched, peeled and chopped
- 4 lbs lean beef
- 2 medium onions peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt or sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp black pepper coarsely ground
- 1 cup chopped greens parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, sage, etc.
- 1 Tbsp white sugar optional; or to taste; sweet tomatoes don't need added sugar
For assembly
- 5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
To prepare the eggplant
Remove stems, then rinse and dry the eggplant. Slice 1/4" thick lengthwise.
Place the eggplant slices on a large tray, sprinkling each slice with some salt. Let rest for 30-45 minutes.
Next, rinse under running water, dry with paper towels, and set aside.
To make the tomato meat sauce
Add olive oil to a large pot, preferably in a large cast-iron jambalaya pot, and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, frequently stirring, until golden brown.
Add the beef and cook, frequently stirring, until browned.
Add the tomatoes, drizzle some olive oil on top, stir, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, frequently stirring, until the sauce thickens and loses about 1/4 of the volume. This will take about 40-60 minutes.
To make the batter
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and kefir or buttermilk. Adjust as needed, to get a slightly runny batter consistency. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.
To fry eggplant slices
Preheat oil to 350F in a large cast iron pot or a deep fryer.
Two-three at a time, dip the eggplant slices in the batter, then carefully lower into the hot oil. Cook several minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove and place on a tray lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
To assemble eggplant parmesan
Spread a ladlefull or two of the sauce on the bottom of an 11" x 15" deep baking dish. Next, arrange a layer of fried eggplant, followed by sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and finished by grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat until all layers are completed.
Baking eggplant parmesan
Cover with foil, ensuring that foil does not touch the top of the eggplant parmesan. Bake in preheated oven at 375F for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake additional 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1837mg | Potassium: 1509mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3007IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 418mg | Iron: 5mg