Happy Friday! Today’s recipe is scrumptious and savoury comfort food made simply in a casserole dish.

It’s deliciously layered with tender bite-size eggplant, marinara sauce, two types of melty cheeses, and herbs. A golden-brown and crunchy breadcrumb topping completes this easy-to-make dinner recipe.

It’s also baked instead of traditionally fried, which makes this dish a little healthier too. Plus, it makes a generous amount that’s perfect to feed the whole family!

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Baked Eggplant Parmesan Casserole!

How do you make this eggplant parmesan casserole?

(Ingredients amounts and full instructions in the recipe card down below).

Lightly roasted sliced Italian eggplant on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Toss the sliced eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet (or two) lined with parchment paper. Spread the eggplant slices into a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F.

A large casserole dish containing layers of marinara sauce, sliced eggplant, herbs, and cheeses.

Layer the eggplant dish in the following order: marinara sauce, eggplant, herbs, and cheeses.

A large casserole dish containing three layers of marinara sauce, sliced eggplant, herbs, and cheeses with a breadcrumb topping.

Repeat the layering process two more times. Try to evenly distribute the ingredients throughout the casserole dish. Top with the breadcrumb topping.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Casserole with a golden-brown Panko breadcrumb topping in a large blue rectangular dish.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, until the topping is golden-brown. Let the dish cool for 10 minutes before serving.

A generous piece of cheesy baked eggplant parmesan being scooped out a large casserole dish.

Check out these other easy casserole dishes!

A piece of cheesy layered Baked Eggplant Parmesan on a white plate with a gold fork.

In all, this Baked Eggplant Parmesan is:

Delicious comfort food: Tender sliced eggplant layered with marinara sauce, melted cheese, and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs is so tasty and texture-rich too!
Easy to make: The process to make this recipe is uncomplicated and simple to follow.
Made with simple ingredients: Ingredients are probably easy to find at the grocery store or already in your kitchen pantry.
Great for serving the family: It makes six hearty servings. It’s wonderful to serve with garlic bread and/or a green salad.
Easy to substitute ingredients: Switch out the cheese (or add more different types of melty cheeses) if you prefer like cheddar or gruyere. Substitute the Panko breadcrumbs with Italian breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned) if you like.
Yummy as leftovers too: This recipe re-heats well and tastes just as good the next day.

Overhead view of Baked Eggplant Parmesan on a white plate and large rectangular dish.

Did you try this eggplant recipe? If you did, please leave me a rating and comment down below or tag me on any of my social media. I’m @yay_for_food on Instagram. I’d love a picture!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

Name: Baked Eggplant Parmesan Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lb. Italian eggplant, quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 650 ml marinara sauce (or pasta sauce) (I used a garlic sweet basil sauce); ¼ cup (28 g) fresh basil leaves, chopped *(see first note); 2 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 cup (2 oz) parmesan (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano), grated; 250 g fresh mozzarella, sliced; ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs (or Italian breadcrumbs); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1½ tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped; Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A delicious comfort food recipe featuring layers of tender eggplant and melty cheese topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. A winning combination that’s easy to prepare!

Ingredients

For the filling:

2 lb. Italian eggplant, quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
650 ml marinara sauce (or pasta sauce) (I used a garlic sweet basil sauce)
¼ cup (28 g) fresh basil leaves, chopped *(see first note)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup (2 oz) parmesan (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano), grated
250 g fresh mozzarella, sliced

For the topping:

¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs (or Italian breadcrumbs)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine together the sliced eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then spread the eggplant into a single even layer (you may need two baking sheets).
Roast for 15 minutes, allowing the eggplant to soften and lightly brown around the edges. As the eggplant roasts, mix together the topping ingredients in a bowl and prepare the other ingredients for the casserole.
In an 9x13 casserole dish, start by layering a third of each ingredient in this order: marinara sauce, eggplant, fresh and dried herbs, and cheeses. Repeat this order two more times, making sure to evenly distribute the ingredients in the casserole dish.
Then sprinkle the breadcrumb topping evenly over the casserole dish.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, allowing a golden-brown crust to form. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

*Substitute fresh basil with 2 teaspoon of dried basil if you like.
Nutritional information represents one serving for a total of six servings.

Recommended Products

As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I only link to products that I use and/or highly recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 341Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 1241mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 7gSugar: 12gProtein: 12g

Myra Hein

Saturday 24th of June 2023

This came out amazing!!! Made it for my students who had grown the eggplant in our garden. They loved it

Marie | Yay! for Food

Monday 26th of June 2023

I’m so happy to hear! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!

Jenny

Monday 18th of October 2021

I recently made this for the residents at the nursing home I work at. They loved it. Many of them wanted seconds. Will be adding this to my repertoire of specials I make for them this winter.

Tuesday 26th of October 2021

I'm glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing Jenny!

Abdul Hafiz

Thursday 29th of August 2019

Egg plant is my favourite dish. Your recipe looks easy to make. Going to try in the coming days. Thanks for sharing

Wonderful! Let me know how it goes!

Mimi

Friday 28th of June 2019

Oooooohh. I love this. I thought you might have used ricotta, but you used fresh mozzarella and it's so smart. I really love the topping!

Marie | Yay! For Food

Saturday 29th of June 2019

Thanks Mimi! It's such a great combination of flavours!

meghna

I love eggplants a lot and this recipe seems so easy & doable and extremely delicious. Thanks much I'll be trying it soon.

Thanks Meghna! I hope you give this recipe a try!