Baked Parmesan Eggplant Fries

Occasionally, timing is just perfect for a recipe. I'm finding that with a very active 15 month old, that occasionally is actually rarely.  Last week though, when my sweet baby girl was taking a nap I ran across this recipe from Closet Cooking.  The Husband had just told me that morning that he had an eggplant ready to be picked and we had just picked up some freshly grated Parmesan the day before.

These were absolutely delicious! We couldn't stop eating them. Even our little one who has been picky about vegetables the past few months, ate several of these.

A few notes:
- My eggplant might have been a little larger than "medium", because I had to make a second (but smaller) batch of the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture.  To save yourself some time, keep those ingredients out just in case! :)
- I used homemade bread crumbs in place of the panko.  This worked just fine, though I am sure the panko would have given these even more crunch.
- I increased the amount of parmesan to 1/3 (from 1/4 cup) and used slightly more Italian seasoning.
- Take your time to make sure that you coat each eggplant fry with the egg thoroughly or else the breadcrumbs will not stick and you will have flour patches showing through.

Baked Parmesan Eggplant Fries

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick 'fries'
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
marinara sauce for dipping

Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, dip them in the egg and then into a mixture of the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, thyme salt and pepper.

Place the eggplant slices on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes per side.