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Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

January 17, 2017 By Tina Dawson 20 Comments

Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LeanCuisine #CollectiveBias

Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices – perfectly breaded, spiced and BAKED! A wonderful side to go along with LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Spicy Penne Arrabbiata!Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices - perfectly breaded, flavored and spiced and BAKED! A wonderful side to go along with LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Spicy Penne Arrabbiata!

We’ve been finding ourselves more and more at Target these days, and as we were strolling through the aisles going down memory lane, yet another time (my husband lived right next to a Target when he was at grad school and developed a weird emotional connection to all Target stores) , we found ourselves in the Frozen dinner aisle containing meals that my dear husband survived on for 2 years!

And lo and behold, a SALE! LEAN CUISINE® meals at $1.99 a pop! This was one of those times when walking down someone else’s memory lane really paid me off! And unlike other frozen microwave dinners that usually repulse me, these made me salivate! Ah the long line-up of deliciousness even had me reeling there a bit! Not to mention how the words ‘No GMO’, ‘Organic’ and ‘No preservatives’ sang a siren song to me. They even have several gluten-free options, people!

Microwave dinners needn't translate to pathetic & unhealthy - jazz things up with Lean Cuisine and Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices!

So, I braved the freezer cold, used my husband’s nostalgia to my advantage and grabbed as many boxes as I could! The prospect of not having to cook many a dinner/lunch on days when I get too carried away with work to keep track of time, well, I’m not gonna lie, it was very exciting!

Our freezer has no more room, because like a squirrel, I saved up for the winter! Well, actually, there’s so much stuffed in there, it may carry us through spring! And so should you! Because the $1.99 sale is limited time only folks (1/1 – 1/31), so rush to Target and raid the shelves! Go! Go! Go!

Microwave dinners needn't translate to pathetic & unhealthy - jazz things up with Lean Cuisine and Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices!

And to get past the guilt of not having to cook several meals this season, I always have a lovely side on the ready – like these Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices, a recipe that never fails to impress every time I make it! Breaded to perfection, fragrant with dried herbs, lightly spiced and crisp with a molten center plus BAKED! It’s really everything, not to mention easy!! Use zipper bgas to bread and dip and save yourself a cleanup later!

Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices - perfectly breaded, flavored and spiced and BAKED! A wonderful side to go along with LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Spicy Penne Arrabbiata!

Slice up an eggplant into 1/2″ slices and salt them on both sides and let them sweat for a bit – wash and drain on paper towels to dry them up completely!

Microwave dinners needn't translate to pathetic & unhealthy - jazz things up with healthy Lean Cuisine and Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices!

Bread them, spray/brush with a little oil and bake until crisp!

Note: The breadcrumbs are the lifeline of these eggplants. So, if you cannot find Roasted Garlic and Herb Breadcrumbs, combine 1/2 cup regular breadcrumbs + 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning + 1/4 tsp garlic powder + 1/4 tsp salt.

Microwave dinners needn't translate to pathetic & unhealthy - jazz things up with healthy Lean Cuisine and Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices!

And don’t forget to heat up a delicious box of LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace meals! Check out their collection – it is diverse, flavorful and quite long, even if you’re a vegetarian or can’t process gluten or are looking for high protein options! Pasta, Stir-fry, Rice, Meat or Vegetables, it’s all there!
Microwave dinners needn't translate to pathetic & unhealthy - jazz things up with Lean Cuisine and Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices!

When you make these gorgeous Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.

Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices

Created by Tina Dawson on January 16, 2017

Microwave dinners needn't translate to pathetic & unhealthy - jazz things up with healthy Lean Cuisine and Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices!

  • Prep Time:15m
  • Cook Time:27m
  • Total Time:45m
  • Serves: 2
  • Yield: 10 slices

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1/2 c Roasted Garlic and Herb breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp. cornflour + 1/4c water slurry
  • 1 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. fried red chilli flakes (optional)
  • Salt, to taste (and sweat)
  • Oil spray

Instructions

  1. Slice eggplants in 1/2 inch thick pieces. Spread out on a large place/tray and sprinkle salt on both sides. Let sweat for 10 minutes, then wash and dab dry with paper towels. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a large baking tray with foil.
  3. Dip the dry eggplant slices into the cornflour slurry then press into the breadcrumbs. Make sure both sides are covered generously in the breadcrumbs.
  4. Place the coated eggplant slices in the prepared baking tray in a single, non-touching layer.
  5. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C for 15 minutes. Increase temperature to 450°F/230°C, flip then continue baking for another 10 minutes. Broil for 2 minutes to finish.
  6. Serve hot!
  • Print
Crispy Baked Eggplant Slices - perfectly breaded, spiced and BAKED! A delicious VEGAN addition to your meals.

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Filed Under: All Recipes, American, Appetizers, Cuisines, Italian, Lunch/Dinner, Table for two, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: baked, breadcrumbs, Eggplant, lean cuisine, lunch, microwave dinners, Pasta

Previous Post: « Baked Plantain Chips
Next Post: Savoury Veggie Puff Tart »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. DOROTHY POLIDORO says

    January 27, 2017 at 6:45 pm

    What is water slurry?

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 27, 2017 at 9:58 pm

      Water and cornflour together forms a slurry that would either thicken a gravy or in this case bond the breadcrumbs to the eggplant.

      Reply
  2. Elaine Cipriano says

    January 25, 2017 at 9:43 am

    I make eggplant parm all the time. I peel the eggplant first. (Isn’t the skin bitter?)
    …..it’s hard for me to wrap my head around “crispy” and “baked” in the same sentence.
    BUT I will try this.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 25, 2017 at 11:41 am

      I have never had a case of bitterness in eggplant – have you tried salting the slices first? And if you’ve never had crispy eggplant, then you’re in for a treat! Good luck! 🙂

      Reply
  3. GiGi Eats says

    January 17, 2017 at 9:11 pm

    I ADORE eggplant like this! Utterly adore it!! Mmmmm! I haven’t had eggplant in a hot minute though. I must change that!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 17, 2017 at 9:14 pm

      Yes, you absolutely must Gigi! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Janette@CulinaryGinger.com says

    January 17, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    The penne looks so homemade, I love the direction Lean Cuisine has taken and those eggplant slices look delicious.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 17, 2017 at 2:27 pm

      I know! It’s super delicious too, considering all I did was pop it in the microwave and transfer to a bowl! Thanks Janette!

      Reply
  5. Luci's Morsels says

    January 17, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Don’t we all have some sort of weird attachment to target? I do. I also know that grad school does weird things to people!!! Loving that you’re adding a homemade part to a freezer meal – totally something I would do!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 21, 2017 at 9:19 am

      Thanks Luci!

      Reply
  6. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

    January 17, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    We love crispy eggplant patties and used to buy them frozen. These days I don’t find them that easily. This is a great recipe and perfect for our family since we don’t use eggs. I am definitely trying this out to make some eggplant parmigiana soon 🙂

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 17, 2017 at 2:28 pm

      Yaay! Thanks a lot Sandhya! I find that whenever breading is required, cornflour works just as good as egg does!

      Reply
  7. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says

    January 17, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    My husband and I are huge fans of eggplant in any form, especially baked, so yummy!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 17, 2017 at 2:28 pm

      Thanks Emily!

      Reply
  8. Allison - Celebrating Sweets says

    January 17, 2017 at 11:52 am

    Your egglplant looks delicious! I haven’t had a Lean Cuisine in years; I’ll have to pick some up next time I’m in Target.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 17, 2017 at 2:28 pm

      Please do! It’s really, really good!

      Reply
      • mary says

        January 25, 2017 at 2:21 pm

        Please tell me what “corn flour” is. I see it had a + after it, but I can’t find the + in this posting.

        Reply
        • Tina Dawson says

          January 25, 2017 at 2:29 pm

          Hey Mary, cornflour /cornstarch is powdered corn that looks a lot like all-purpose flour and is used as a thickener in soups and gravies. You should be able to find it in all grocery stores. The ‘+’ simply denotes adding water (cornflour + water) to form a paste. If you can’t find cornstarch/cornflour, please use a whisked egg.

          Reply
  9. Ben G says

    January 17, 2017 at 11:47 am

    My freezer looks the same way right now – completely stuffed with Lean Cuisine meals! #Client

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 17, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Ha ha! Same pinch!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

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