Eggplant Towers
I got this recipe from my good friend in 1978. I think she got it from Southern Living, but I am not sure.
I got this recipe from my good friend in 1978. I think she got it from Southern Living, but I am not sure.
- Carbohydrate 6.31920468749943 g
- Cholesterol 1.27096353963312 mg
- Fat 0.911728384649501 g
- Fiber 0.750750017762184 g
- Protein 1.23394973957529 g
- Saturated Fat 0.395292291180811 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (45g)
- Sodium 54.677499994552 mg
- Sugar 5.56845466973725 g
- Trans Fat 0.123615260362962 g
- Calories 38 calories
Step-by-step
- Try to get tomatoes, onion, and eggplant about the same size round.
- Arrange slices of eggplant, onion, and tomato in a stack.
- Top with a pat of butter, salt, pepper, and basil.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350.
- Uncover and place a slice of mozzarella on each stack and a bit of breadcrumbs.
- Return to oven for 10 minutes.
- This is a great side dish with any meat.
- Also great served with spaghetti and meat sauce.
Standard recipes rarely account for the structural quirks of round vegetables, leaving home cooks to salvage uneven stacks that slide apart in the oven. Selecting produce of uniform diameter prevents awkward overhangs that burn before the interior softens. Slicing eggplant, tomatoes, and purple onions to matching widths ensures that heat penetrates every layer at the same rate, avoiding the common pitfall of crunchy centers paired with overcooked edges.
Baking these stacks covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes traps moisture inside the vegetables, allowing the dense eggplant flesh to steam until tender without drying out. Uncovering the dish during the final ten minutes is critical for releasing excess liquid so the added breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese can toast rather than steam into a soggy crust. Keeping the butter pat small prevents excess pooling at the base of the baking dish while still providing enough fat to brown the exterior edges nicely.
Leftover towers maintain their structural integrity best when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days, though reheating them gently in a 300 degree oven helps restore the crispness of the cheese topping better than a microwave ever could.
