Oven Roasted Eggplant

Oven roasted eggplant brings a meaty sort of richness to your meal without as many calories as that burger you’ve been craving. And because these are baked and not fried, you still get plenty of crispy crunch without ruining your waistline. 

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I guess I’m on a little bit of an eggplant kick these days. Sorry about that. Last week we did eggplant pizzas, but I feel like I still need to redeem myself because I’ve been pretty bad over on my Facebook page. It’s been all chocolate over there–big chocolate cakes and no bake cookies that turn out perfectly every time. That stuff makes our bellies happy but not our butts…I have to do better.

I feel a little guilty about it all, so I feel like I need to redeem myself and your waistline.

The first thing I learned when I created this breaded roasted eggplant recipe is that you DO NOT need salt. The Parmesan cheese is salty enough and the flavors concentrate as the eggplant roasts–you won’t miss it.

These are basically a no oil version except for a little cooking spray on the baking pan. I even ran the recipe through a nutritional calculator and I’m happy to report each serving (about 5 slices of 1/2″ thick eggplant) is about 175 calories. I can hear your waist getting happier. If waistlines got happy, I mean. If you want to have an eggplant chip–slice these as thin as you can get them and bake until golden brown–about 15 minutes or so. If you like them thicker (I do) slice them 1/2″ thick and roast 30-40 minutes, turning them halfway through for even browning.

Roasted Eggplant

Roasted eggplant feels richer and much more indulgent than it is. Roast up a big batch to enjoy with marinara sauce or over pasta. 

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 5 people

Calories: 175kcal

Author: Rachel Ballard

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Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Slice the eggplant thin for crispy chips or thicker, depending on how you want it--up to about 1/2" thick at the most. 
• In a small bowl, beat the egg and water.
• On a plate blend the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic and pepper.
• Dip the eggplant into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs pressing down firmly to make sure they are coated all over.
• Lightly spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and lay the eggplant in one layer. You may need more than one sheet for all the slices. Lightly spray the tops of the eggplant with more cooking spray. 
• If baking thin chips, bake about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. For thicker slices, bake 30-40 minutes until golden, flipping halfway. Serve with marinara sauce or melt a little mozzarella over the top and serve with pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal