Toddler Approved Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Dang this dinner is good & so so easy in the air fryer! So when Jansu, from My Toddler’s Kitchen, reached out about making up a recipe for other toddler moms, it was an easy “YES- Let’s go!”
A couple years ago Lucas and I, went to a friend’s house for dinner & she severed a version of this. Of course we were like…”Ummmm add this to the weeknight meals repertoire.” So I asked for the recipe and tried to duplicate it, but after making It a couple times, I lost the recipe, we changed a few things & then on a hot summer night (the ones where you literally can not imagine turning on the oven) we adapted it for the air fryer….and never looked back!
So here we are! Jansu and I got together (she cooked, I photographed- dream team) in my tiny kitchen to bring you Eggplant Parmesan a la the air fryer! Grab a cup of coffee and I’ll guide you through, or scroll through to the downloadable recipe card at the end. I hope you and your littles enjoy :)
The thing I love about this recipe is that it is so easy to break it up, work on throughout the day (read: during Naptime) and finish it off right before dinner. It’s quick and easy just at the right time- you know when everyone is going crazy, needs your attention & you’re literally like “give me a minuttteeeee so I can get food on your plate!!!”…I’ve been there…I was there tonight!
So the first step is a- do not forget this step- kinda deal. A couple hours before, or even the night before, slice up your eggplant to 1/4 -1/2 inch slices. Try to make them pretty even, so that they cook evenly. Salt one side, throw them on a paper towel, & place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Half way through your total fridge time, flip the slices (maybe change the paper towel, if you’re getting fancy) & salt the reverse side. This allows the eggplant to sweat, getting out that excess water. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!! Literally, if I forget to do this, I just save the eggplant for the next night’s dinner & order pizza. It is not worth it. I promise.
After, at least, a couple hours in the fridge, have your kiddos pull up a barstool & get your breadcrumb stations ready. I love to involve my toddlers in this step, if that is not your lane, play doh or markers for the win! I set this up like an assembly line, eggplant- eggs (whisked)- breadcrumbs- empty plate. Then one by one, dip your eggplant slices in the eggs (both sides), then the breadcrumbs (pat these on, if needed), then lay them in an even layer on the plate. Depending on age & ability, kids can help with: cracking eggs, mixing breadcrumb mixture, &/ dipping the eggplant slices. I started cooking with our twin boys early out of necessity- 2 babies, one momma. But as I experimented and allowed them to try, mess up, get messy, etc., I learned that they are much more capable than I would initially think!
You can take a slight break here, if you have some time before dinner. Or, I like to start a batch in the air fryer & then bread the others, while the first batch is cooking. Totally up to how well you feel like you are able to multi-task/how much bandwidth you have left over from the day!
Once you are ready for the air fryer, I put enough slices in to create one even layer & drizzle some oil over one side (or honestly….sometimes I spray with oil cooking spray…don’t tell). 375 for 4-5 minutes, or until the top layer is G-B-D golden brown delicious. Flip the slices & repeat the oil (spray) until that side is GBD.
Once that side is done, pull out your basket, dollop a little tomato sauce, & sprinkle with mozzarella. I love Rao’s sauce. BT, before toddlers (apparently I’m an abbreviation kind of person now), I loved to make my own sauce. Mainly, because I could not find a sauce that measured up. But after I tried Rao’s, I’ve been hooked. I know it’s not the most budget friendly, but I promise it’s worth it.
Once you’re all set up, back in the air fryer/broiler, to melt all the cheese & THAT’S IT! You’re done. Dinner- done. When I tell you I need dinners like this in my life, I am not joking. It’s delicious, it’s easy & I just wish I had video of Jansu trying it for the first time, because she was transported to heaven for a minute!
We chopped it up in slices, because that’s a good size for our toddlers, but please use discretion with what your child can safely handle food size wise!
