My grandmother’s easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a delicious vegetarian dinner that only requires 15 minutes of prep! This recipe simplifies the classic Italian dish for a quick-prep, kid-friendly weeknight meal!
Certain recipes just taste like home, and this eggplant Parmesan is definitely one of those dinners. It’s like a warm hug or an instant transport back to my childhood table. I can almost close my eyes and see it: my 13-year-old self just walked in the door from soccer practice, Dad just came home from work, and Mom is scurrying around the kitchen to get us all fed, bathed, and in bed for the night. The aroma alone takes me back to those happy memories!
When Aunt Barbara recently passed along my grandmother’s old recipe box (which is a vintage-looking tin classic!), I spent hours pouring over all of her recipes. One that instantly jumped out at me was the handwritten Baked Eggplant Parmesan on a weathered piece of yellow legal paper. As I mentioned, this is a meal that my own mom served us throughout my youth, and I suppose she received the recipe from her mom.
I do a lot of cooking for my own family these days, but Eggplant Parmesan wasn’t one of my go-to’s…until now. I think that I put off making the dish for a variety of reasons:
(1) it seemed too complicated and hands-on (I don’t have the time or energy to stand over a frying pan flipping individual slices of eggplant at this point in my life);
(2) it’s a vegetarian meal, so I automatically assumed that the 4 meat-loving boys in my house would turn their noses up at the humble eggplant; and
(3) there was no way that any generic Eggplant Parmesan recipe could live up to the memories of my mom’s homemade specialty.
So imagine my delight when I came across the very recipe that my mom had used 30-plus years ago! Even better? It’s BAKED in the oven, which means I spend about 15 minutes preparing the meal and that’s it! No frying pan, no flipping at the stove, and so darn easy! The outside of the eggplant still gets crispy and flavorful (thanks to a buttered dish), but there’s no extra effort on my part.
But the true test came when I served this meal to my boys. Eggplant is definitely not a staple vegetable in this house (although we did attempt growing it in our garden one year), so I honestly wasn’t sure whether or not this dinner would be well received.
You guys!!! My kids LOVED my Grandma’s Baked Eggplant Parmesan! All 3 of them eyed it suspiciously at first, but after one bite they were sold. Casey announced that it’s delicious because “it tastes like pizza,” and from there we were off and running! I enjoy my Eggplant Parmesan with a salad on the side, while the boys love their carbs in the form of a side of pasta and marinara. Rest assured, this is an easy vegetarian dinner that satisfies even the pickiest meat-loving men! My grandma would be so proud…
Grandma's Baked Eggplant Parmesan
My grandmother's easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a delicious vegetarian dinner that only requires 15 minutes of prep! This recipe simplifies the classic Italian dish for a quick-prep, kid-friendly weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup corn flake crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 2 ounces 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour melted butter into a 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Place egg in a shallow dish. Set aside.
- In a separate shallow dish, combine corn flake crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Peel eggplant and cut into ¾-inch thick slices. Dip each slice in egg and coat with crumb mixture. Place in prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes; turn slices and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Pour marinara sauce over eggplant and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 3 more minutes, or until cheese is just melted.
Recipe Notes
My boys love this dish when it's served with pasta and additional marinara sauce on the side!
I love meals that instantly take you back to your childhood! This eggplant parmesan definitely looks like the perfect comfort food dish. I’ve never made it myself before, but I do love ordering it out. I love that this is ready in just 15 minutes!
Thanks so much, Gayle! You should try it at home — this is definitely easier than it looks! 🙂
I am making this tonight for my family. BLT’S AND this. I doubled the recipe and did 2 pans. Our eggplants ate huge down here.
Oh, yum! That sounds like a delicious meal! You can never have too much of the eggplant parm — I think the leftovers are great too! 🙂
I just tried this recipe tonight; my picky husband, loved it!
It’s a hit! I used 2 baking dishes for a larger eggplant.
This recipe was so easy and fast, unlike another recipe that took at least 90 minutes. I will repeat, thanks so much. Anishara
I just made this and it was so easy to make and tastes fantastic!! I have been looking for a good eggplant parm recipe and have finally found it!! Your recipes always hit the spot! Thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad that you like it, Courtney! It’s one of my favorites, and I’ve even been known to eat any leftovers cold…straight out of the fridge! Thanks so much for reading along with us and for letting me know that you tried it. Have a great weekend! 🙂
I made this last night for dinner and it was great! I didn’t have corn flakes so I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
That’s great, Cathy! Did the breadcrumbs work ok? I was wondering if they would get crispy on the outside like the cornflakes, or if they would just be kind of soggy. Let me know! 🙂
I tried it with breadcrumbs too. It came out soggy. Will try it with corn flakes next time!
Yes, I wouldn’t recommend breadcrumbs here. Corn flakes are the way to go! 🙂
Hands down, this recipe is your best yet. It was absolutely delicious and loved by the entire family. Tank you, thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! I was just thinking the other day that I need to make this again soon. We love it as well!
This was so easy and so yummy! Thanks so much for the recipe. It turned out very well.
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Becky! Thanks for letting me know!
I have been making recipes from your blog for about 5 months and this is my favorite so far!!Thank you!!
That’s great, Stephanie! I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying our recipes. And yes — this is definitely one of my favorites, too! 🙂
Hi this recipe looks amazing. Is there anyway to cut down the sodium though?
Hi, Alayna! You can use a homemade marinara where you control the sodium, and you can cut the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. The rest of the sodium is largely in the cheeses, which you obviously can’t change. 🙂 Hope that helps!
This was awesome! My girls cleaned their plates which is rare! I didn’t have corn flakes so used bran flakes and doubled the parm. Thanks for a great go to for the future!
That’s great, Meggan! Way to get resourceful with the bran flakes. 🙂 And yes — I was so pleasantly surprised the first time that I served this to my kids and they loved it!
Lovelovelove Grandma’s Baked Eggplant Parmesan!!!!!! So easy and so delicious I made it twice in one week as requested by my son!!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!!
Sincerely, Genai Burford
Wonderful, Genai! I’m so glad that you loved it! I have it on my meal plan to make again next week. 🙂 Definitely a favorite around here too!
What are corn flake crumbs? Actual corn flake cereal?
Hey, Meg! I’m actually making this Eggplant Parm for dinner again tonight. 🙂
The corn flake crumbs are literally crushed up Corn Flakes cereal. You can also buy cornflake crumbs in a canister (similar to bread crumbs) if you prefer the shortcut. Either option works, but I usually just use the actual cereal and crush it in a Ziploc bag with a wooden rolling pin. Takes two seconds!
Enjoy. 🙂
Does this freeze well?
Hi, Joanna! I have never actually tried myself, but I would worry that the texture of the eggplant or the coating might get weird after freezing. Again, I don’t know for sure — just a guess. 🙂
OMG! I’m transitioning from meat! I tried this recipe last night! My husband and kids are meat people! They throughly enjoy this eggplant parm! They came back for seconds! Thank you so much for this recipe! And it was so easy! I’m hooked!
That’s wonderful, CoCo! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! I found the same to be true in my house — even my meat-loving boys enjoy this dinner!
I’ve got my eggplant in the oven baking as we speak! I don’t have corn flake crumbs so I substituted panko bread crumbs. I made my marinara from scratch…I am excited to try this recipe for my family’s dinner.
Hi, Jane! Let me know if the panko works ok. The cornflake crumbs obviously have a slightly different taste than regular breadcrumbs, and they get VERY crispy in the oven so that it tastes fried. 🙂 Maybe the breadcrumbs will too? Enjoy!
Hello Blair, I really like your Eggplant parmesan recipe, and I tried it a little differently than your directions though. I did use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and when I dipped the eggplant slices in the egg batter and breadcrumbs, I placed them in a seasoned frying pan with olive oil and butter and sauteed them until golden golden brown. Then I followed your directions in placing them in a baking dish, layering them as you stated and covered them with seasoned marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. It turned out beautifully and none of it was soggy. Great tasting and very nutritious. Thanks, Maria
Hey, Maria! Glad to know that it works your way, too! Thanks for sharing, and I’m so happy that you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
This recipe was fantastic! My non-vegetable eating boyfriend ate every bite and loved it. Super easy. I will make this again and again.
Wonderful! My non-veggie-loving husband enjoys this dish, too! 🙂
Hi
I usually have to sprinkle the eegpkant with salt abd let drain on wired rack to get all of the wter out of the eggplant. Does baking without sauce keep it crunchy
Hi, Sue! I find that the eggplant in this recipe is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. 🙂
Why do you add the sauce at the end and only bake it for 3 minutes? Most eggplant parm recipes include the sauce in from the beginning. Thanks.
Hi, Priya! I do it that way because that’s how my grandmother said to do it. 🙂 Seriously, though — it works perfectly, so I’ve never felt the need to change the process.
Many eggplant parm recipes require you to fry the eggplant in a skillet before it goes in the oven. Since this eggplant isn’t fried in a skillet at all, it gets crispy and the “fried” texture by baking in the oven before adding the sauce. I would worry that adding the sauce earlier wouldn’t allow it to get crispy, and you’d have a soggy end result. Hope that helps!
I made it today! It’s really good!
Great! Thanks for letting me know, Jose!
Eggplant Parm is my favorite meal from Italian restaurants, but I have never tried making it at home because I thought it would be complicated to make. I just made this (SO easy!) and it is SO good! This is going to be a regular part of our dinnertime routine. I didn’t have cornflakes, so I substituted crushed Rice Chex and it came beautifully! So crunchy and tasty. You have made me very happy 🙂
Isn’t it delicious, Jean! I’m so glad that you’ve found a way to enjoy a favorite at home! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
I just made this today. Wow!! It’s amazing. I’ve had 3 helpings today. 😳😳😳. My teenager liked it as well and thought it was chicken. 🤣. Put half of recipe in freezer. Hope it freezes well.
Yay! I’m so glad that you love it too, Lisa! 🙂
First, Thank you for this recipe. I’m in the process of making it for dinner right now and I have high hopes for it.
However, I have a small complaint. You currently have 116 ad trackers and/or ad pixels on your website which causes it to load ridiculously slow. I’m all for ads on your site to generate revenue but that is just ridiculous.
Hey, Matt! Thank you for your feedback — I do appreciate it!
I hope that you enjoy the eggplant. 🙂
If you use breadcrumbs – double bread the slices! No sogginess and absolutely perfect!
Great tip! Thanks, Kayla!
Hi Blair! I’m only beginning to experiment in the kitchen as I am out of college. I usually like to cook for my family of 4. I am making this meal tonight and I am super excited! Your story and use of words is exquisite! I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of “corn flake crumbs” you mean by this. Thank you!
Hi, Cristal! Good for you! That’s awesome that you’re getting in the kitchen, learning how to cook, and helping out your family. 🙂
You have two different options for the cornflake crumbs. You can either purchase a box of regular Cornflakes cereal, put it in a big ziploc bag, and crush it with a rolling pin or mallet until the flakes are the texture of coarse breadcrumbs; OR you can purchase a canister of cornflake crumbs. The canister of cornflake crumbs can usually be found in the grocery store near the breadcrumbs and other similar coatings (like “Shake n’ Bake, etc.”). Buying the cereal and crushing it yourself just adds an extra step to the preparation, so pick the option that works best for you.
Enjoy, and thanks so much for your kind note!
Hi Blair. I want to fix this recipe for a vegetarian friend who is coming home from the hospital after having a new baby. She was originally coming home Sunday which would have allowed me to bake it and take it. However, she needed to stay until Monday. I work weekdays so my question is can you put this together ahead of time and bake omitting the marinara and mozzarella, refrigerate overnight and take with final instructions by heating up the dish with marinara and cheese? Or will it become soggy. Thanks for your input and a great sounding recipe.
Hi! This is a great option for your vegetarian friend!
I haven’t tried this prep-ahead method myself, but I *think* it would work well. I’m guessing that it will be slightly less “crispy” than the original version, but it will definitely still be delicious. I eat this eggplant parm as leftovers regularly, and it still tastes amazing. Your suggestion for reheating with the sauce and cheese should work fine!
Thanks Blair. My friend loved it. She said it was better than Olive Garden! And I got to hold the new bundle of joy. 😍
Wonderful! I’m so glad that it was a hit! Congrats to your friend on her new baby! 🙂
Just tried this recipe for the first time tonight and it came out amazing! My husband went back for thirds 😂 I’ve never cooked with eggplant before but I know I’ll definitely be making this recipe again!!
That’s great, Shalee! I’m so glad that your first experience with eggplant was a good one! 🙂
Panko breadcrumbs work too! Browned really nicely
Great! Thanks, Veronica!
Thanks for making me sick !!! It was so good I ate it all lol
just kidding I did make it for my wife though and she and I both were amazed at how good it was !!!
Hah! I’m glad that you guys ate it all!! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! My husband absolutely loved it (I did too!) I have never cooked with eggplant before! Oh my goodness this has me on an eggplant kick 😂 my poor husband.. It’ll be eggplant everything from here on out
Oh, good! Thanks for letting me know, Shalee! Bring on the eggplant! 🙂
Would this still work if I left the skin on? Thanks!
Hi, Lauren! Yes, this will definitely work if you leave the skin on. The skin can just be a bit tough, so it doesn’t appeal to everyone. If you don’t mind it, then feel free to leave it on. 🙂
I’m going to make this egg plant parm tonight. Do I need to sweat the egg plant first?
Hi, Connie! No, you do not need to sweat the eggplant first. If that’s your preference, you certainly can do so…but the recipe works well without that step. 🙂
I was going to make this exactly as the recipe directed. But my sweet family member who ran to the store accidentally got fruit sweetened corn flakes which were too sweet to use lol. So I happened to have rice chex cereal on hand and used it. Turned out perfect. This recipe is so delicious. Will be added to our favorite recipes.
Hah! I’m glad that you didn’t use the fruity flakes! 🙂 Glad to know that Rice Chex work as well!