Food & Recipes

Baked Eggplant 'n' Cheese Sandwiches

Here's an Italian dish, eggplant Parmesan, for folks on the go. Classic eggplant Parmesan ingredients -- in a sandwich!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 cups nonfat pasta sauce
• 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated nonfat Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler on high heat.
2. Line baking sheet(s) with foil and spray with cooking spray.
3. Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet(s); sprinkle with garlic powder and spray lightly with cooking spray.
4. Cook eggplant 5 minutes per side until lightly browned and tender.
5. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. Spray 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
7. Pour 1 cup pasta sauce into baking dish; arrange half the eggplant slices on top of sauce.
8. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese on each eggplant slice and top with remaining eggplant slices.
9. Cover with remaining sauce; sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
10. Eggplant can be covered, refrigerated and baked later, or baked 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and casserole is heated through.

Tips: For better eggplant casseroles, select fat, rounded eggplants; they tend to be juicer and better suited for baking than long, slender ones.

Excerpted from Cook Once, Eat for a Week by Jyl Steinback. Copyright © 2003 by Family Fit Lifestyle, an Arizona Corporation.

To order this book go to www.penguin.com. Get a 15% discount with the coupon code FENPARENT.