Steves Eggplant Stack Recipes

EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Mix Panko with basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread onto a plate. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. Dip each eggplant slice into milk and turn to coat. Shake off excess. Press an eggplant slice down into the breadcrumbs. Flip and press the other side in to help the crumbs adhere. Arrange breaded eggplant on lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the slices. Sprinkle eggplant slices with a little salt (1 teaspoon or so) and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Flip slices and bake for another 15 minutes until the eggplant is softened and lightly browned in spots. Remove tray from oven and let eggplant cool for a few minutes so you can handle it. (leave oven set at 375ºF)
• While the eggplant is baking, make the sauce: heat olive oil in a large cooking pot or dutch oven oven medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for about 8 minutes until very soft and starting to brown. Stir in dried basil, salt, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and honey. Cook sauce at a simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Add minced garlic (if using) and simmer 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat. The sauce will be thick.
• Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Divide the total number of eggplant slices by 3 and that's how many stacks you'll have. You should have enough for 8-9 stacks. Arrange the 8 (or 9) largest eggplant rounds on the prepared parchment-line pan. Top each round with two tablespoon of tomato sauce, a teaspoon of parmesan, 2 tablespoons of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of slivered basil (don't add basil to the top of the stacks) Repeat with two more layers, using the larger slices for the middle layer and the smaller ones for the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
• Garnish each stack with a sprinkle of slivered basil.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO STACKS

Steps:

• In a large bowl toss the eggplant slices with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Using your fingertips, evenly distribute the salt on both sides of each slice. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl or sheet pan to catch juices. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with heavy-duty foil.
• Rinse the eggplant under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on one baking sheet. Brush olive oil on 1 side. Brush with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
• Drizzle the other pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the minced garlic.
• Roast the tomatoe slices until they are very soft and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, without turning. Bake the eggplant slices until they are tender and well browned, 20 to 30 minutes, without turning. Let the tomato and eggplant slices cool until you can handle them with your fingers.
• Make a short stack starting with eggplant on the bottom, 1 slice mozzarella, and then tomato. Top with another piece of eggplant. Warm stacks in the oven until mozzarella lightly melts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

CRISPY EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds generously with salt; place on baking sheet for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Use paper towels to blot moisture from each side of the eggplant slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Whisk eggs in a shallow bowl. Place panko bread crumbs in a second bowl. Dip each side of the eggplant slices in the whisked eggs, then press into the panko crumbs to coat each side. Place slices on a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
• Spray the tops of eggplant generously with cooking spray. Bake 8 minutes in preheated oven. Turn each slice, and spray the other side with cooking spray. Bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).
• To make the stacks: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a large slice of eggplant on the parchment. Top with a spoonful of Ragu® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce and a slice of mozzarella. Place another slice of eggplant on the first; repeat the layering process until you have about 5 or 6 slices in a stack. Top with a generous layer of parmesan cheese.
• Bake stacks until the cheese has melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

EGGPLANT STACKS

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in 1 teaspoon oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, salt, cinnamon and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes., Meanwhile, brush eggplant slices with remaining oil. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Spread 2 tablespoons sauce mixture into a greased 3-cup baking dish. Top with half of the eggplant slices. Spread with 1/2 cup sauce mixture. Repeat layers., Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

FESTIVALS EGGPLANT-N-RICE STACKS

Steps:

• For eggplant: Peel eggplant and slice into 8 (1/4-inch thick) medallions. Place sliced eggplant into a small bowl, add cold water and salt and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and dry on a paper towel. Combine egg and milk to make an egg wash. Combine flour and Creole seasoning in a shallow bowl. Dip eggplant in egg wash and then dredge in seasoned flour. In a large skillet, add olive oil and heat. Cook eggplant until golden brown and tender. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
• For Rice Patties: In a medium bowl add 2 cups of cooked rice, egg, garlic salt, red pepper, onion tops, and cheese. Mix well. Divide rice mixture into 4 portions and form patties. In a large skillet, add olive oil and heat. Cook rice patties until browned on each side and cheese begins to melt. Drain and set aside.
• For sauce: In a large skillet, melt 1/4 cup of butter, add onions, and cook until tender. Whisk in flour, Creole seasoning, garlic, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Add water, half-and-half, and whisk to mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese. Set aside.
• Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In another large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and then saute shrimp until no longer pink. Pour in the cream sauce, fold in crab meat, and heat thoroughly.
• To serve, make a bed of rice using 1/4 cup of remaining rice, for each serving. Place an eggplant medallion on top of the rice bed, drizzle with sauce, top with a rice patty, drizzle with a little more sauce, and then top with another eggplant medallion. You should have 4 stacks; each will have 2 eggplant medallions and 1 rice patty. Pour remaining sauce over stacks and sprinkle with chopped onion tops.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season eggplant with salt. Heat 1 cup oil (about 1/4 inch) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, so as to not crowd the skillet, fry eggplant rounds, turning once, until soft and pale golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 20 seconds (do not let brown). Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break down and are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in oregano and basil. (Alternatively, stir oregano and basil into 1 1/4 cups Freezable Tomato Sauce Base.)
• Place 6 slices of eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon sauce and a few pieces of mozzarella, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Parmesan. Repeat layering twice.
• Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 12 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with oregano and Parmesan shavings.