So Simple Eggplant Parmesan

One taste will have you hooked on this better way to make an Italian favorite. Bake the breaded eggplant planks instead of frying, to cut down on oil and mess. So easy and incredibly delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into ½ inch planks

Salt

3 eggs + water

1 C. Flour

1 3/4 C. Seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 C. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Garlic powder

66 oz. Ragu spaghetti sauce

3 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

 Heat oven to 425° F.

Line two baking sheets with foil and grease them with olive oil.  Set up 3 pie pans (or cake pans) for dredging: one with flour, one with the eggs beat with ¼ C. water, and one with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese.

Lightly salt the eggplant. Dip each piece first in flour, then eggs, and then crumbs mixture. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle eggplant with garlic powder and a fine drizzle of olive oil. Bake 30 minutes or until golden, turning pieces halfway through time. Remove from oven.

Lower oven temperature to 375° F.

Put thin amount of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a deep casserole dish. Put a layer of baked eggplant in the bottom. Pour more sauce over the eggplant, then sprinkle 1 C. mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat layering with eggplant, rest of the sauce and 2 C. mozzarella on top. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until cheese is golden brown. Serve.

Serves: 8

Hunters Hash

What's better on a cool, fall day than eating sausage and potatoes, peppers, onions, squash and a few surprise ingredients thrown in? The answer is NOTHING. This dish, which has a touch of heat, savory and sweet, will have you watching the clock, waiting for it to be meal time, again!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 large Onion, chopped

1-each Red and Green bell peppers, chopped

1 t. Garlic, minced

2-14 0z. Andouille sausage, thinly sliced (I used Johnsonville brand.)

6-8 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

Garlic powder, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

A pinch Cayenne pepper

2 t. Paprika

1 t. Cumin

1 t. Coriander

1 C. Dried mixed fruit, chopped

½ C. Maple syrup

Instructions

Heat oven to 400° F.

Pile cubed butternut squash onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and mix with your hands to evenly coat. Spread pieces apart and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, put 2 T. olive oil into an iron skillet on medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Add red and green bell peppers and garlic. Cook for another few minutes, until peppers are soft. Remove vegetables to a bowl.

Into the same skillet on medium high heat, put the andouille sausage and fry until browned. Remove the sausage to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables. Keep the grease in the skillet.

Now put potatoes into the same skillet on medium high heat. If needed, you can add a little olive oil. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin and coriander. Brown the potatoes, turning them about every 4 minutes. Cook until potatoes are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Turn off heat.[Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes on a separate foil-lined sheet pan at the same time as the butternut squash in the oven, on a separate rack, but bake for 30-40 minutes.]

Into a large stew pot, combine the reserved cooked vegetables and sausage, potatoes and roasted squash. Add dried mixed fruit. Stir. Heat through on medium heat for just a few minutes to reheat the ingredients. Add maple syrup and stir. Serve.