Eggplant Parmesan

A few weeks ago, I made Eggplant Parmesan for the first time. There are so many Eggplant Parmesan recipes out there that I was difficult for me to choose which one would yield the best finished product. Some recipes recommend peeling the eggplant, some leave the skin on. Sometimes the eggplant is fried before being baked into the casserole and sometimes it is not. And there are certainly a variety of ways to bread the eggplant, sauces to make, and cheeses to layer it with.

After reading a number of recipes, I shut my computer and just decided to come up with my own. What I ended up with is a fairly convenient, traditional version of Eggplant Parmesan. I'm so glad that I finally got around to making this dish. It was delicious!

I started with 2 small-ish eggplants.

Then, using a vegetable peeler, I removed the skin.

Naked lil' eggplants...

Sliced into 1/4 -1/2" thick slices.

Place the eggplants in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. The salt will draw out the moisture in the eggplant. Let the eggplant sit for about 30 minutes.

Then place on paper towels.

To squeeze out any excess moisture, I topped the slices with another layer of paper towel and pressed with my grill press. A heavy skillet would work well for this too.

With the eggplant ready to go, I set up my frying station. I heated oil in a skillet and then filled 3 coating trays: the first with flour, the second with a mixture of egg and minced garlic, and the third with a combination of grated Parmesan and panko.

Each eggplant slice was dredged in flour,

dipped in egg,

and coated with panko and Parmesan.

Place the slices in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on each side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Once the last batch of eggplant is fried, pour a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce right into the drippings in the skillet. I also added in some Italian seasoning. Stir and heat through.

Now the only thing left to do was assemble the casserole. I started by spreading about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

Arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce.

Top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Then repeat the layers. Finish by topping with the remainder of the sauce and a a sprinkle of cheese.

I baked mine for about 20 minutes, until it was bubbly around the edges and the cheese on top was melted.

Fresh basil adds the perfect finish for this cheesy, flavorful dish.

Definitely delicious!

Again, I failed to write down the recipe while I was cooking. Now it's been weeks since I made this and I can not remember the exact amounts of the ingredients used. I did my best to come close based on the pictures above. Here's the recipe:

Eggplant Parmesan

1 large or 2 small, firm eggplants
salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
oil for frying
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella
fresh basil, chopped

For the eggplant:
Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/4- 1/2 inch disks. Salt eggplant and let stand for 30 minutes for excess moisture to drain. Press dry between paper towels. Pour flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, whisk together egg and garlic. In a third dish, mix panko and parmesan. Dredge the eggplant in flour, then dip in the egg mixture, and finally coat with the parmesan/panko mixture. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Fry eggplant in batches until golden brown on each side. Remove to drain on paper towels.

For the sauce:

Sprinkle the drippings in the skillet with Italian seasoning. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and heat through.

To assemble:

Spread 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Top with 1/4 cup of parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella. Arrange remaining eggplant on top of the cheese. Pour on the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheeses.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil.

Croque-Madame Casserole and the Meal Plan 2/21- 2/26

This Croque-Madame Casserole was a hit at our Sunday brunch a couple of weeks ago. You may be familiar with the Croque Monsieur(the French version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich) and the Croque Madame (the Croque Monsieur served with a fried or poached egg on top). Well, leave it to Paula Deen to find a way to make this French sandwich into a casserole! I found this recipe in my copy of The Deen Family Cookbook (seen in my left sidebar).

Certainly not on any list of healthy foods, I'd be willing to diet all week for a slice of this! My husband and I loved it. My kindergartner ate about half of her serving, exclaiming how good it tasted. But halfway through she stopped eating abruptly and asked, "Does this have mustard in it? " Before I could answer, she went on. "Yes. Yes it does have mustard. I definitely taste mustard. YUCK! Mustard. I am NOT eating this." As my oldest went on complaining I noticed as her little sister quietly pushed her plate away as a sign of solidarity. Oh well, more for me!

If your children (or you) are not a fan of mustard, just leave it out. But definitely make this!

Here's how:

As with many of Ms. Deen's recipes, we begin with butter. If you have a problem with the amount of butter used in this recipe, I'd like to quote the Queen of Southern Cooking here: "I'm your cook, not your doctor!"

Anyway, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet to make the bechamel sauce. From The Deen Family Cookbook: Bechamel sauce- That's just French for plain ol' white sauce.

Cook the butter until it bubbles.



Whisk in flour and cook for one minute.



Slowly whisk in 2-1/2 cups of milk and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until thick and bubbling.





Pour a thin layer of the sauce into a greased baking dish.




Cover with 5-6 slices of bread.



Top with half of the ham.




And half of the cheese.



The recipe called for Gruyere cheese. Gruyere is an excellent melting cheese (ideal for fondues) with a taste that is distinctive but not overpowering. It takes it's name from the town of Gruyères in Switzerland. It IS a bit pricey. I think that I paid around $15 for this bag of shredded fondue blend cheese at my local grocery. If you don't want to pay the price, you could always substitute your favorite Swiss cheese instead.




Repeat the layers of bread, ham, and cheese, ending with the sauce.




Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven and cut into 6 equal pieces.



Fry eggs in a skillet heated with the remaining butter.



Plate the slices of casserole and top each with a fried egg.



Time to dig in! I served mine with an Artisanal Blend of salad greens, which was added a nice crisp, refreshing taste in between bites of this rich, delicious casserole.



Here's the recipe:

Croque-Madame Casserole from Paula Deen's Deen Family Cookbook

Prep Time:20 min
Cook Time:40 min
Serves: 6

Ingredients
•6 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus 2 tablespoons for eggs
•1/4 cup all-purpose flour
•2 cups milk
•2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
•3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
•1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus more for seasoning
•1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
•10 to 12 slices white bread
•3/4 pound deli ham
•1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyere, reserve some for top of casserole
•6 eggs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes more. Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour a thin layer of the sauce into the prepared baking dish and cover it with 5 or 6 slices of the bread, then slices of the ham and an even layer of the Gruyere. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a third layer of sauce to cover all. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cut into 6 equal pieces.

Working in 2 batches, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 3 eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the whites are nearly set, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the eggs and continue cooking until the whites are completely set, about 1 minute more. You're going to top each portion of the casserole with a fried egg. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon butter. Top with Gruyere and it in the oven for a few minutes until cheese melts.
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And now for the meal plan...this week I'm only trying one new recipe, "Crafty Lasagna". The rest of the meals featured in the plan below have already been posted on Krista's Kitchen. Just click the links to see the posts with step by step instructions.

Monday February 21st

Beef and Barley Soup

Tuesday February 22nd

Spicy Tuna Linguine

Wednesday February 23rd

Crafty Lasagna

Thursday February 24th

Leftovers

Friday February 25th

Make Your Own Pizza Night

Saturday February 26th

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup with Mini Focaccias

Sunday February 27th

Chili Cheese Dogs

Grocery List

Produce

2-3 onions
celery
carrots
4 heads garlic
shallot
2-3 leeks
parsley
mushrooms
cilantro
pine nuts
pizza toppings of choice: mushrooms, onion, peppers
3 lbs. plum tomatoes
basil

Meat

3-4 cups cooked beef roast
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
hot dogs
12 oz. canned tuna packed in water
pizza toppings: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham

Dairy

shredded cheese for pizza
sour cream
1 (11 oz.) tube breadsticks
grated parmesan
shredded cheddar

Dry Goods

quick cooking barley
Italian seasoning
red pepper flakes
9 oz. dry linguine
quick rise yeast
sugar
all purpose flour
wheat flour
oregano
hot dog buns
brown sugar
chili powder
garlic powder
cumin

Canned Goods

olive oil
64 oz. beef broth
3 cans diced tomatoes
46 oz. chicken broth
pizza sauce
3- 6 oz. cans tomato paste
12 oz. evaporated milk
mustard

Nacho Chicken Bake...revisited

When this blog was a baby, just one month old, back in November of 2008, I posted this recipe for Chicken Nacho Bake. Since I first discovered the recipe years ago (I can't remember when and where exactly), it has established itself as a regular in my meal plan rotations. I love this recipe because my family loves it (not the healthiest concoction, but SO good!) and because it requires very little effort. I should have someone time me one of these days, but I estimate the prep time on this yummy dish to be between 5 and 10 minutes. You only have to chop one ingredient and the rest of the ingredients are just dumped, stirred, spread, and baked.

When I made this casserole again last week, I decided that it was worth another mention (the original post just didn't do it justice), and so I snapped some new pictures and here it is again....Nacho Chicken Bake!

Here's how it comes together:

I generally use Baked Nacho Chips (Doritos), but this time I used "regular" Nacho Chips because I found them for $.99 a bag. Slightly crunch the chips and spread them into the bottom of a casserole dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Then I combined the other ingredients together in a mixing bowl. This is chicken, condensed cream of chicken soup, salsa, shredded cheese, chopped onion, and diced green chilies. I usually use picante sauce, but I was out and so I grabbed a jar of salsa instead.

Spread the mixture over the chips.

Top with more cheese and pop it into a pre-heated oven.

Serve with whatever fixings you like. Last week I served it over shredded lettuce and topped it with a dollop of sour cream.  It's a perfect quickie, family-pleasing, weeknight dinner. Delicious as always!

Nacho Chicken Bake

8 cups Baked Doritos

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% fat free)

1- 10 oz. can of chunk white chicken

1 cup picante sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 medium onion, chopped

1-4 oz can diced green chilies

Additional cheese to top casserole

Arrange the chips in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Combine the next six ingredients. Pour over the chips and spread evenly. Sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles PLUS Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Noodle Soup (Creative Leftovers)

Winter has finally arrived here in Northeastern Ohio! After an hour-long driveway shovelling session last night, I was in the mood for some comfort food. This twist on a classic chicken and noodles recipe fit the bill! Nothing earth-shattering about this one...no intense or exotic flavors, in that regard it was sort of ho-hum...but still, it was creamy and delicious and the perfect meal for a snowy Monday night. Plus, the kiddos ate it up!

This recipe was written for a pre-roasted rotisserie chicken. When I first came across it in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I thought it would be a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey. But last night, with no rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey in sight, I poached a couple of large boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Chicken breasts bubbling away in a pot of salted water is never a pretty sight. That icky foam always forms on top. But my pictures last night were all decidedly bad no matter what I photographed. Sorry about that.

In another pot, saute 4 cloves of minced garlic in a little olive oil.

Stir a cup of frozen peas into the garlic.

Then, add in 1-3/4 to 2 cups of milk. Heat through.

While the milk and peas are heating up, and you shred the chicken (if you're not using an rotisserie chicken, that is), boil the noodles. I just boiled these in the same water that I used to poach the chicken (after skimming the scum, that is). No time needed to heat the water and less dishes!

Add the cooked, shredded chicken to the milk mixture.

Then stir in the noodles and Parmesan. Heat through.

Transfer the mixture into a casserole dish, then go to work on the topping.

I know that I've shared my trick for using a coffee grinder to make bread crumbs on this blog before.

It really does work well!

Mix the bread crumbs with some Parmesan cheese and butter.

Then top the chicken and noodles and bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

Now the only step left is to dish it up!

Here's the recipe, adapted by me from Better Homes and Gardens

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6-8 oz. extra-wide egg noodles
1 2- to 2-1/4-lb. purchased roasted chicken
1 cup frozen peas
4 cloves garlic, minced or 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 cups milk
1 slice white or wheat bread
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a soup pot, bring 6 cups salted water to boiling; add noodles. Cook 10 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones. Discard skin and bones; shred chicken. In saucepan combine chicken, peas, garlic, and whole milk; heat through. Cover and keep warm.

3. In blender or food processor or coffee grinder, process bread into coarse crumbs. Transfer to small bowl; add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and 2 Tbsp. melted butter.

4. Stir noodles and remaining Parmesan into hot chicken mixture. Heat and stir until bubbly. Divide among 4 individual casserole dishes. Top each with some of the bread crumb mixture. Bake 5 minutes or until top begins to brown. Makes 4 servings.

A couple of notes: First of all, I used 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I cooked, then shredded. Second, I baked this in one casserole dish, rather than dividing the mixture into 4 dishes.
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Now for the soup....

Tonight, (after more shovelling) I was in the mood for soup, not leftover chicken and noodle casserole. My husband had taken the "lion's share" of the leftover casserole to work for his lunch. Still, I was left with 1/4 to 1/3 of a casserole to divvy out for dinner. And so I decided to make it into a soup. You'd never know that this delicious, creamy soup was created by scraping a casserole dish clean! So good!

Here's what I did:

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodle Soup aka Soup from Leftovers

1/4 to 1/3 of a recipe of leftover Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
4 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

In a soup pot or large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cream of chicken soup to a boil. Add in the leftover chicken and noodles. Heat through. Stir in the spinach and heat until wilted.

*Note: if you're opposed to using processed cream of chicken soup in this recipe, then leave it out. It was good without the Cream of Chicken...however, I was going for a quick fix to make a creamier soup and the condensed soup worked beautifully!

This was a seriously yummy soup and it was ready in minutes! Gotta love that!