KETO EGGPLANT PARMESAN
A few of my cooking principles before we dive into the recipe:
- I love food and enjoy cooking. I have always believed every bite you take should be calorie worthy so I won't post any recipe that I didn't savor
- I love Pinterest and will look at several recipes and then play with parts of them and adjust them to my preferences
- I hate measuring and eyeball things when possible
- I believe cooking should be fun so throwing things together to see what works is part of the game
- And I hate blogs that make you scroll through pages of copy before they get to the recipe so let's go:
One of the keys to Lazy Keto success and probably any sustainable diet is to eat things you enjoy. This was one of the first recipes we (Anna and I) tried and it was so good it is a go to in our house. I like to cook in bulk and have leftovers for the week so you can do more or less of this recipe for your needs.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants
- 2 beaten eggs (start with 2 but you may need a 3rd)
- 3 cups crushed pork rinds
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- roughly 1/4 cup melted butter or olive oil for the pan
- roughly a cup of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1-2 cups grated cheese (mozzarella, parmesan or other Italian blend of your choice)
- roughly a tbsp of Salt
Instructions:
- Rinse and dry the eggplant. Then slice to about 1/2" rounds.
- Lay rounds on a paper towel and sprinkle both sides with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes. This helps draw the moisture out of the eggplant which makes it a little less bitter. (or so I learned from another recipe)
- While the eggplant is doing its thing, I start on the "breading"
- In one bowl, beat the eggs and set aside
- Crush up the pork rinds in a food processor or put them in a plastic bag and beat them with a rolling pin or hammer to burn a few extra calories/take out any aggression. They should be the consistency of bread crumbs
- In a separate bowl mix the crushed pork rinds, Italian seasoning, garlic and grated parmesan cheese. I love this mixture so you really can't make too much of it.
- With a clean paper towel, wipe off moisture and salt from each piece of eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- Line baking sheet with aluminum foil
- Pour melted butter or olive oil to fully coat the bottom of the pan. (to save a step, I often put the butter on the pan and toss it in the oven to melt it while I start the next step. Just don't forget about it
- Take a piece of the egg plant and dip it in the egg, making sure it is fully coated. Then dip it in the "bread crumb" mixture coating both sides evenly. Place it on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have coated all of the eggplant.
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes
- Take them out, flip each one and bake another 15 minutes. They should be golden brown and bubbling around the edges
- Remove from the oven and dab each with marinara sauce. There are probably some decent low-sugar options available but I haven't found any at the stores I frequent so I use the regular stuff but just put a small amount on each piece. Just a tbsp or so and spread it around.
- Then top each slice with the remaining cheese and pop it back in the oven until the cheese is melted and getting a little browned. Probably 10-ish minutes give or take.
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