A lighter Italian-American classic — panko-crusted baked eggplant layered with a creamy goat cheese filling, low-sodium marinara and melted mozzarella. Make the full 9×13 pan for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. Her/His portions included.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplants (1 lb each), peeled and sliced ½-inch crosswise
- 1 large eggs, lightly beaten (for breading)
- 0.5 tablespoons water
- 0.4 cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 0.1 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (for breading)
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese (chèvre), room temperature
- 2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 0.5 large egg, lightly beaten (for filling)
- 0.3 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (for filling)
- 0.3 cups fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1.5 garlic cloves, minced
- 0.3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 0.1 teaspoons salt (for filling)
- 10oz fresh spinach
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 1 low-sodium marinara sauce (24oz jars)
- 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 0.4 cups fontina cheese, finely grated
- 0.1 teaspoons salt (for eggplant layers)
- 0.5 tablespoons cooking spray
Preparation
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray.
- Bread the eggplant: Whisk together 1 large eggs, lightly beaten (for breading) and 0.5 tablespoons water in a shallow dish. In a second dish, combine 0.4 cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs and 0.1 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (for breading). Dip each eggplant slice in the egg wash, then dredge in the panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Place slices 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake eggplant until golden: Coat tops of eggplant slices with cooking spray. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes until golden and crisp, turning once and rotating baking sheets at the 15-minute mark. Set aside.
- Make the goat cheese filling: In a bowl, combine 4 ounces soft goat cheese (chèvre), room temperature and 2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, room temperature and mix until smooth — the cream cheese softens the tang and makes it spreadable like ricotta. Add 0.5 large egg, lightly beaten (for filling), 0.3 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (for filling), 0.3 cups fresh basil leaves, torn, 1.5 garlic cloves, minced, 0.3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, and 0.1 teaspoons salt (for filling). Mix well until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Assemble the layers: Coat a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread ½ cup of 1 low-sodium marinara sauce (24oz jars) across the bottom. Layer half the baked eggplant slices over the sauce. Sprinkle with ⅛ tsp of 0.1 teaspoons salt (for eggplant layers). Spoon ¾ cup marinara over eggplant, then spread half the goat cheese mixture across the sauce. Top with one-third of the 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced and ¼ cup of 0.4 cups fontina cheese, finely grated. Repeat the layers once — eggplant, salt, marinara, goat cheese mix, mozzarella, fontina. Finish with about 1 cup of marinara on top. Reserve remaining mozzarella and fontina for uncovered bake.
- Covered bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil coated with cooking spray (so the cheese doesn’t stick). Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes.
- Uncover and finish: Remove foil. Top with the remaining third of 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced and remaining ¼ cup 0.4 cups fontina cheese, finely grated. Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Rest before cutting: Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This is essential — it lets the layers firm up so slices stay clean and hold together.
- Portion and pack leftovers: Cut the pan into 6 equal pieces. 👩 Her dinner: 1 piece (~420 kcal). 👨 His dinner: 1.5 pieces (~630 kcal). Immediately pack the remaining portions into labelled HER / HIM containers for tomorrow’s lunch — the goat cheese layer firms up overnight and the flavour deepens. Reheat covered at 350°F for 15 minutes or microwave 2–3 minutes with a damp paper towel on top.
Notes
Goat cheese swap tip: The cream cheese is the secret — it tempers the tang of the goat cheese and gives it the creamy spreadable texture of ricotta so it melts into the layers beautifully rather than sitting on top.
Leftover system: The full pan serves 1 dinner + 1 lunch. Pack HER/HIS containers before sitting down to eat — exactly like the weekly plan.
Portion guide:
👩 Her: 1 slice dinner + 1 slice lunch = ~840 kcal for both meals
👨 His: 1.5 slices dinner + 1.5 slices lunch = ~1,260 kcal for both meals
Make it your own: Add a layer of sautéed mushrooms and spinach between the eggplant layers (from the lasagna recipe) to boost the vegetable content further — it works perfectly with this recipe too.
