Eggplant and Tomato Mozzarella Stacks
I truly enjoy the act of cooking. I like picking out all of my ingredients in anticipation of what the flavors will taste like together. I love getting everything chopped and prepped and then watching a dish come together by the act of my own creation. I get to see from start to finish my own concoction of flavors. The kitchen is a safe place to be creative. You don’t have to be perfect at every chef technique or skill. And cooking is something that we can all share together. Our culture has become very food obsessed that we can scroll through pictures of food all over the internet or snap pictures of every meal to post on our social media. Is it a little weird? Maybe, but it’s a way for us all to relate to each other and become more inspired.
These eggplant and tomato mozzarella stacks came together out of my love for in season produce at the end of summer. I’m very fickle about eating tomatoes unless their texture is tender and the flavors are sweet. I found some really great heirlooms tomatoes at the farmers market for this dish. I wanted even more tomato-y goodness so I made a roasted tomato and garlic sauce for the side. I lightly coated the eggplant in buttery breadcrumbs with a slightly salty Parmesan. The stacks stick together with creamy, fresh mozzarella. It’s like a towering version of eggplant lasagna.
In true Jacked Kitchen fashion that doesn’t include taking the easy route, I made a royal disaster of my kitchen putting this together. Hopefully you are more disciplined about not dirtying everything you own. I made my own bread crumbs, grated my own cheese, made sauce from scratch and used a simmered balsamic reduction. In the end it was worth the extra steps to give attention to each component of the meal. My taste buds appreciate that I enjoy the act of cooking.
Eggplant and Tomato Mozzarella Stacks Recipe
Makes 4 stacks; serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 8, 1-inch round slices
- 2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices (at least 8 slices)
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
- Fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 8 fresh basil leaves, not chopped
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp balsamic reduction*
Directions
Prepare the Ingredients
- Cut the eggplant into 8, 1-inch slices. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on a plate or cutting board and sprinkle with a generous amount of kosher salt. Let the eggplant rest for about 8 minutes. Use a paper towel to wipe off the excess fluid. Flip the eggplant and repeat on the second side.
- Cut the large tomatoes in 1/2-inch thick slices. You need at least 8 slices.
- Cut 3 medium sized tomatoes in half, then into fourths and then into eighths.
- Peel the garlic.
- Slice the fresh mozzarella into 8 slices.
- Chop fresh basil into 1 Tbsp.
- Mix together a 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Start Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with foil.
- Spray the eggplant on both sides with cooking spray and then dredge in the bread crumbs/Parmesan mixture. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on one of the baking sheets. Sprinkle the top with the excess breadcrumbs.
- Add the tomato slices, tomato chunks and garlic to the second baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Bake the ingredients for 10 minutes, and remove the pans from the oven. Flip the eggplant (be gentle so the breading does not fall off). Build the stacks starting with an eggplant base, slice of tomato, a basil leaf and a slice of mozzarella. Repeat another layer. Do this until you have 4 stacks. Return the stacks and the other tomatoes/garlic back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Remove both pans from the oven. Let the eggplant stacks rest while you pulse the tomato wedges and garlic in in a food processor until almost all of the chunks are gone. Add the tomatoes to a small sauce pan along with 1/2 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp chopped basil, and 1/4 tsp onion powder. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Serve the eggplant stacks with the side of sauce. Drizzle with a balsamic reduction and Parmesan cheese.
If you want a heavier coating of breadcrumbs or want to make them stick to the eggplant better, you can coat the eggplant slices in egg before placing in the breadcrumbs. I didn’t do this because I like a light coating on the eggplant, but you can decide which way you like best.
When you build your stacks, use the largest slices of eggplant as the base and the small ones on top so the stacks don’t fall over. I like the extra sauce, especially when its fresh tomato season, but you can skip it if you want to reduce a few extra steps. The stacks themselves have plenty of flavor without the extra sauce.
If the cheese is still not melted on top, consider turning on the broiler while you finish off the tomato sauce.
*The grocery store sells balsamic reduction, but if you can’t find it you can make your own by bringing 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce to a low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. It will reduce by about half and become a thick syrup. Don’t cook it too long or it will become like paste. Save the leftover reduction in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks to drizzle on salads or crusty bread.
Use the Extra Ingredients
If you have extra tomato or eggplant, roast all of it and store in the refrigerator to reheat and serve over pasta.
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