Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil for brushing
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 large eggplants , peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 48 ounces chunky tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets and a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

2. 2

   Whisk eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in a separate shallow dish.

3. 3

   Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture, then press into bread crumb mixture. Gently tap off any excess crumbs. Arrange breaded eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheets.

4. 4

   Bake in the preheated oven until the bottoms are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip eggplant and continue baking until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.

5. 5

   Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

6. 6

   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir tomato sauce into ground beef; bring to a simmer, then set sauce aside.

7. 7

   Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce on top of eggplant layer.

8. 8

   Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese on top of sauce layer. Repeat this step 2 more times, finishing with a layer of mozzarella cheese.

9. 9

   Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.