Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan

I was at the grocery today and I spotted a large purple eggplant sitting so vibrantly on the shelf. I've never bought eggplant before nor cooked with it, so I thought, why not? I asked the produce guy to pick a ripe one out that I could use in a dish for dinner and then I got home and decided to make eggplant parmesan. We also had chicken and mushrooms on hand, so I threw it altogether and came up with this amped up parmesan dish.

It turned out great! My husband and I ate almost the whole pan (we're big eaters though). The eggplant and parmesan are a yummy combination and the chicken and mushrooms add great texture and flavor and make it a bit more hardy. The cheesy herb topping is a must!

Chicken, mushroom and eggplant parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1/4 in slices
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon each, oregano and parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices, chicken, and mushrooms in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle herbs on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.