Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Calling all eggplant Parmesan lovers out there! Private practice registered dietitian and recipe developer Kristen Carli has come up with a way to prepare eggplant Parmesan without pan-frying the eggplant. Her sheet pan eggplant Parmesan recipe uses the heat of the oven to give the eggplant that distinctive savory, crispy crust, which means you get to use less oil, and as an added bonus, that's one less pan to clean up afterwards. The sheet pan on which the eggplant bakes ends up doubling as the casserole dish in which the eggplant comes together with the marinara and Italian cheeses to deliver "gooey cheesy deliciousness," as Carli calls it — and we'd have to agree!

Carli notes that she never even liked eggplant particularly before her husband convinced her to try making eggplant parm. "This dish made me a convert," she says. "My husband and I kept talking about how good it was! It is our new favorite." And we are certain it will become a new favorite in your home, too.

To make Carli's rich and satisfying recipe for sheet pan eggplant Parmesan, you will need a mere seven ingredients, a few of which you probably already have around the house — namely ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour, two eggs (beaten), and 1 cup of pre-prepared marinara sauce. In addition, you will need an average-sized eggplant (which you will be slicing thinly), ½ cup of breadcrumbs, 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (shredded, or you can grate it yourself), and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese. (For this recipe, we recommend buying your Parmesan cheese already grated, such as is shown in the photo above.)

First things first: Start by setting your oven to preheat to 450 F. Seriously, promise us there will be no skipping of this important step, because it's crucial to start baking your sheet pan eggplant Parmesan in a hot oven. Once you've got that going, it's time to slice the eggplant. In order to do that, simply lop off the end, and slice the eggplant vertically into six slices. "Do not peel [the eggplant]," Carli advises. And voila! Could this recipe for sheet pan eggplant Parmesan be any easier?

Generally speaking, eggplant Parmesan involves pan-fried thinly sliced eggplant, breaded and then pan-fried before slathering on rich marinara sauce, gooey mozzarella cheese, and, of course, a generous sprinkling of yummy Parmesan cheese. For this recipe, the breading is assembled using a fairly traditional three-step method involving flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs. The reason this works is that the flour and egg act come together to form a "batter," and the proteins in the beaten eggs help the flour and breadcrumbs to bind to the surface of the eggplant slice. Since this pretty much demands preparedness, let's set up a mini assembly line consisting of the flour in a large bowl or plate, the eggs (beaten in a large bowl), and another large bowl or plate for the breadcrumbs.

For each slice of eggplant, the first mini step is to coat the slice in flour by dipping it into the flour, first on one side, then the other. The second is to dip those floured eggplant slices ever-so-briefly in the beaten egg. The third is to dip the flour-and-egg-coated eggplant slices into the breadcrumbs. Just dip, turn over, and dip the other side. Get excited, because you now have hand-breaded eggplant slices at the ready for your sheet pan eggplant Parmesan. 

Once you have all of your eggplant slices fully breaded and waiting, and assuming that your oven is preheated (because, ahem, that is crucial), you'll want to place the slices on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray in a single layer. Put the eggplant in the oven, and set a timer for eight minutes. Generally speaking, eggplant Parmesan requires pan-frying, but in this recipe, oven-frying will take the place of pan-frying.

When the timer goes off, remove the sheet pan from the oven, and close the oven door. Using a spatula, turn the slices over. Put them back in the oven (which should have stayed hot, because the door was closed), and set a timer for another eight minutes. While you're waiting, set up another mini assembly line consisting of marinara sauce with a spoon, the mozzarella cheese, and the Parmesan cheese.

When the timer goes off, remove the sheet pan from the oven, and place it beside your marinara slash cheese assembly line. Spoon a dollop of sauce on top of each slice of your oven-fried eggplant splices. Then, cover the whole thing in mozzarella cheese, and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Pop the sheet back in the oven for five more minutes (or until the cheese melts), after which it's officially ready to serve, as in, "the second it comes out of the oven — all gooey cheesy deliciousness," according to Carli. Enjoy, knowing you'll have just the one pan to clean.