Here’s a little bonus to old age that they don’t tell you about: you start to enjoy some of the foods you once thought you hated.
See: eggplant.
It is in fact delicious when cooked to crisp and tender in the oven. My twelve year old self would roll her eyes in disbelief. She thinks it’s a used dish sponge masquerading as food on a plate. It’s the texture we have to wrangle, and now we know what’s up
It’s dinner. Cozy and all. Let’s do it.
Other foods we’ve put in bowls:
Thai Beef with rice and fresh vegetables
Pan-Seared Salmon with roasted vegetables and farro
(Oh… if you’re not into bowls, go ahead and use whatever plate-y type thing you like. The point is… we should make very good dinners as often as we can.)
Here’s what’s in this Bowl of Food:
• Fresh eggplant, sliced thick, coated in panko and baked to crisp.
• Creamy polenta, cooked with milk to thick and creamy.
• Fresh basil and salty parmesan, for topping / for flavor.
Pantry staples to build our cupboards for now and for the future:
Recipes that also use these ingredients:
Baked Polenta with Tomato and Basil
Avocado Fries with Creamy Cheese Dip
Creamy Smoked Gouda Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Vegetable Winter Crumble
How’s all that for inspiration?
Now… the only downside of this recipe is that it requires three bowls and one dirty hand. There’s no way around it.
One bowl for seasoned flour. One bowl for beaten egg. One bowl for crunchy panko crumbs that we’ll season well.
The eggplant is sliced into hearty 1/2-inch slices, first dipped in flour, then egg, then panko on both sides.
The slices are placed on a wire rack atop a sheet pan.
The wire rack will ensure that the eggplant slices cook evenly on both sides. No soggy bottoms here.
Before the slices are baked, they’re drizzled generously with olive oil.
In the oven they’ll bake to crisp outsides and tender insides. Baked eggplant has an earthy, buttery quality. Really delicious inside these crunchy shells.
Easy creamy polenta is simmered on the stove top.
You can add milk or not. Add water or broth. Add butter and herbs. Polenta is super flexible to your taste.
My advice? Add milk and make a big batch. It makes for lovely leftover with poached egg and spinach.
Creamy polenta is spooned into two bowls.
Baked eggplant on top.
And an easy tomato topping made with canned tomatoes (the sort with added Italian seasoning). I gussy up a canned tomato sauce my adding a dab of butter as it warms and season with a dash more sea salt and black pepper.
Fresh basil and parmesan to top and that’s dinner!
Simple, healthful, comforting and look at us… doing it up right at dinnertime.
Print
Bowl of Food: Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Creamy Polenta
Ingredients
For the Polenta
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups whole milk (you could also just use water, vegetable or chicken broth here)
- scant 1 teaspoon salt (a bit less if you’re using a broth)
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- fresh cracked black pepper
For the Eggplant
- 1 medium eggplant (large enough to get 6 to 8 1/2-inch slices)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- olive oil for coating
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomato with Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- To make the polenta, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and milk (or more water or broth) to a simmer.
- Add the salt and slowly whisk in the polenta. Lower the heat to medium-low and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in the butter and allow the polenta to simmer and thicken for 30 minutes. Once the polenta has thickened, add fresh cracked black pepper, remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest while you make the eggplant.
- When ready to serve, remove the lid and whisk the polenta well before spooning into bowls.
- To make the eggplant place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a baking rack over a half-sheet baking tray and set aside.
- Wash the outside of the eggplant and slice into 1/2-inch thick slices.
- Set out three medium bowls. In one bowl whisk together flour with two big pinches of salt and pepper. In another bowl place eggs and beat well. In the final bowl place bread crumbs, oregano, parmesan, and a few good pinches of salt and pepper.
- First dip an eggplant slice into the flour mixture, lightly coating both sides.
- Next dip into the beaten egg, lightly coating on both sides.
- Finally dip the eggplant in the panko mixture, coating both sides, and pressing lightly with your fingers to evenly coat the eggplant slices. Place on the wire rack. Dip all of the eggplant slices, placing on the wire rack to bake.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place in the oven to bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 18-22 minutes.
- While the eggplant bakes, place diced tomatoes and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until warmed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- To serve, in a medium serving bowl spoon warm polenta. Top with crisp eggplant slices and warm tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh torn basil. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes more polenta that you’ll need for the two servings indicated. I like to refrigerate the leftover polenta and enjoy it the next day with over easy eggs for breakfast. Reheat chilled polenta by adding a bit more water or milk and reheating in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Stir until smooth and heated through
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
36 Responses
I was searching for your “Baked Polenta with Tomato and Basil” on your website and could only find this similar polenta recipe. I used to make “Baked Polenta with Tomato and Basil” for special occasions for loved ones. It used to be on this website page – https://joythebaker.com/2013/01/baked-polenta-with-tomato-and-basil/. However, when I recently tried to go to the site, this recipe doesn’t exist any more.
Would you be able to send me the recipe again or direct me to a cookbook that has it?
Thank you! Love the site!
Hi Kalee! I’m so sorry the baked polenta isn’t available anymore. I scoured the internet and found this recipe. I think it could be customized enough to your liking but it has similar elements to Joy’s variation. I hope this helps and happy cooking! xo
Really perfect creamy grits! I’m facing this recipe as my go-to. Thank you!
If you do not have a wire baking rack are there other options for this? Would a baking sheet or putting it directly onto the racks in the oven work? Thanks!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was yummy! I’m a new eggplant lover and am always looking for ways to make it. Thanks Joy!
This was delicious! Even my committed carnivore partner was happy, despite the lack of meat. Well done!
I made this tonight and it was really delicious! The eggplant was super crunchy and crisp on the outside, but nice and soft on the inside.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Yummy – both the polenta and the eggplant! PINNING – fer sure. (You’ll love this – spellcheck didn’t recognize ‘polenta’, so it suggested ‘tadpole’!! ; o )
We cook baked eggplant in our house on a regular basis – it’s delicious! A giant serving of pesto on top is also delicious if you don’t have the tomatoes :)
We had it for dinner today and it was delicious. That you Joy.
Pictures are amazing. Looks and taste delicious.
This looks wonderful! I used to despise brussels sprouts because when I was younger, my parents would boil them (which just made them taste bland). However, I recently made Hummusapien’s recipe for Loaded Lentil Salad, which calls for roasting/charring the sprouts in a pan, and now I’m in love. Vegetables can be really tricky and so the preparation seems to make all the difference.
Good morning! Just ordered the “Brunch” book – when did you sneak that in there? :)
This looks like the perfect dinner to me. My husband won’t agree, so I’m going to make it with my mom and sister next weekend. Can’t wait! Thanks Joy :)
Oh god I want a bowl of this right now and its 9.46am. I’d love to make it but fear for my boyfriend’s texture issues with food and think polenta and aubergine might be a step too far!
https://victoriaspongepeasepudding.com/
I want this in my mouth right now! Making it this weekend!
Made this for dinner last night. Super easy, fairly quick and so so so delicious. Thank you, Joy!!
Oh, yummy yummy – this looks like such a great supper! And it’s so true that your tastes change as you get older – I used to hate mushrooms, but now enjoy them. xxx
Joy, I freaking love this blog you have created. It just felt like the right thing to dip in and tell you that. Please never stop.
I appreciate you!
I’ve never liked eggplant (aubergine for me!), not at 12, not at 31, but my body is doing this fun thing which consists of being repulsed by most of the foods I love. And, weirdly enough, I tried some eggplant yesterday and it was actually pretty good. Is the universe trying to tell me something? Guess I’ll have to try it this way!
I am a big egplant convert! Never used to understand the point of them but now I love them :) Ottolenghi helped I think…
Talk to me about that baking sheet. Ian it told touch from WS? Why aren’t they putting the texture on the, now?
Holy autocorrect awfulness. can I just start over!? I meant, is this the gold touch line from Williams Sonoma, and are they putting a texture on all of their baking sheets now? I guess I should never one handed comment while nursing my baby. ????
Sounds good, but I have a question. Most eggplant recipes (like eggplant lasagna, etc.) have you salt the slides and let them sit for ~20 minutes on a rack to draw out moisture from the slices. Your recipe does not. Why? Does the baking process make the salting and waiting 20 minutes unnecessary? Is the excess moisture in the eggplant only a problem if it is in a casserole or being fried? Thanks (an advance) for your response.
I love this series! Keep ’em coming!
If you can buy or grow Rosa Bianca eggplants, they are amazing! Few seeds, wonderful texture and flavor.
“The point is… we should make very good dinners as often as we can.”
THIS is my favorite quote to come off of the internet today. Can I just have it printed in gold foil and framed for my kitchen?
Oh also, this looks amazing.
We really just have to do our best. :)
I’m so digging this bowl of food feature (? I don’t know if that’s the right word, but I can’t think of a better one) that you’re running. And your tip about baking the eggplant on a wire rack is genius. This is all I want to eat right now.
Can any of you help me with Recipes designed to drink for lunch called ” Green Smoothies “. I have Breakfast ones but no Lunch Ideas. I’d like them to be Healthy or designed for weight loss.
I would just drink the same green smoothies at lunch and call them lunch smoothies. No?
I like to take the leftover polenta (which I put into a small loaf pan lined with plastic wrap) and slice it while cold, then sauté in a little olive oil. It gets golden brown and crispy on the outside while the inside is creamy. Delicious alone or with roasted veggies.
Love eggplant and this looks delicious!
This is very refreshing, really. Also, thank you for the polenta note. It is very important not to waste any leftovers. Have a pleasant day !