Can You Freeze Eggplant Parmesan?
You can definitely freeze eggplant parmesan without the fear of it going bad. All you have to do is place the prepared the eggplant parmesan in a freezer-friendly baking dish. Then cover the dish with a foil or plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer. This whole process is for unbaked eggplant parmesan only.
You can freeze eggplant parmesan before cooking with one big caveat. You can freeze almost any baked casserole, including eggplant parmesan, although freezing will affect the quality of the dish.
If you plan to make eggplant parmesan from eggplant, you can coat eggplant slices with breadcrumbs and freeze them instead of putting them in the oven. If you plan to use frozen slices for vegetable lasagna or eggplant parmesan, you can mash and bread the slices after blanching, wrap in greaseproof paper, and freeze.
To freeze eggplants, they need to be peeled, sliced and blanched before being placed in the freezer. While you can freeze it raw, blanching it ahead of time will preserve the flavor and texture of the fruit better.
By the way if you are interested in How To Preserve Eggplant, then check out my another article.
After the eggplant has cooled, chop the eggplant and pour the puree into freezer bags. After cooling, cut the eggplants in half, scoop out the pulp and freeze them in freezer bags or containers.
You can freeze raw eggplant balls, place the meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Place the fried eggplants on a baking sheet and freeze for two hours to allow each slice to set.
If you’re cooking before freezing, be sure to remove moisture by salting the raw eggplant slices for an hour and drying them. The idea here is to chop the eggplants, drizzle them with the tomato-cheese sauce, then put them on a foil/plastic-wrapped plate and freeze. Place each piece in the freezer and use within 6 months. When they are completely frozen, transfer the 1-inch pieces to a ziplock bag.
Store uncut and unwashed eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for a few days. Regardless of the method used, eggplants can last up to a year in the refrigerator if stored properly. The fresher your eggplant (best harvested in a week or so), the better it will handle the freezing process.
Following a few simple tips will help you freeze eggplant the right way so that it tastes good when defrosted. If you want to use fully cooked eggplants as an ingredient in future meals, roasting is a great way to prepare them for freezing. If you are going to use eggplant for soup or sauce (like Baba Ganoush) in the future, it makes sense to mix it before freezing.
You still need to fry the eggplant before assembling the whole dish. Just prick the eggplant with a fork and bake everything at 400 degrees until it starts to break down. When you’re ready to bake (and the eggplant casserole is thawed and still wrapped), preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Process | Duration |
Arrange the slices of eggplant on a tray, season it well and cover it with clean paper towel and let it rest. | 45 mins |
Layer the marinara sauce, eggplant and mozzarella cheese in a glass dish and then bake at 150°. | 25 mins |
Pour some tomato sauce into the bottom of the pot and then garnish the eggplants with parmesan, basil and mozzarella cheese and enjoy it! | – |
Let the breaded eggplants cool completely before putting them in the pan. You can prepare eggplants by pre-salting them, breading them and baking them. The first step here is to salt the eggplants and set them aside to let the bitterness evaporate.
Prepare the eggplant. Arrange the eggplant slices on a tray lined with a clean cloth, season the eggplant generously, then place another clean paper towel over them; leave for 45 minutes. Arrange remaining slices, marinara sauce and cheeses on a 9×13 baking sheet. Layer the sauce, eggplant and mozzarella in a glass dish and then bake at 150° for 25 minutes. Lay out the remaining eggplant slices and sprinkle with half of the remaining Parmesan, all of the remaining mozzarella and the rest of the sauce.
Pour some tomato sauce into the bottom of the pot, layer on the fried eggplant slices, then garnish with parmesan, basil and mozzarella seasoned to your taste. Pour another layer of marinara over half the eggplant, followed by 3/4 cup mozzarella. Spread half of the remaining circles in a single layer on top of 1 cup marinara sauce, then garnish with 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, then 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan. You can dip the eggplant slices in the egg and then roll them in homemade Italian breadcrumbs.
When you’re ready to eat, simply reheat the eggplant rolls, covered, in the oven to 180 degrees. You can make the eggplant rolls in advance and freeze them before cooking in the freezer. Using a freezer-safe pan means you can take leftover eggplant and Parmesan out of the freezer and put them straight into the oven.
To freeze Eggplant Parmesan, simply assemble the whole dish, wrap it tightly in cling film and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Prepare raw Eggplant Parmesan in the freezer in a safe pan or baking dish, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezing eggplant with parmesan can save time because you can assemble the raw dish in one go but reheat it later. How to make this Parmesan Frozen Eggplant Recipe; How to freeze eggplant parmesan in a deep fryer for longer shelf life; Tips for Making the Best Eggplant Parmesan in the Deep Fryer; What to serve with this dish; I love the simplicity of this dish. Eggplant Parmigiana will stay as delicious and healthy as you want it to be, whether it’s cooked straight away or thawed out of the freezer after it’s been cooked and partially eaten.
To learn about Is Lasagna A Healthy Meal, then check out this article.
Eggplants are notorious for absorbing oil and water, which can later dilute a frozen dish, so be sure to salt and drain them before assembling the dish. Well, you can try dehydrating the eggplant for the winter, or bake it in the oven for a bit and freeze it (raw eggplant doesn’t taste good when frozen).
How do you freeze and reheat eggplant parmesan?
Preheat the oven to 190°C if you’re going to reheat frozen eggplant parmesan. If the eggplant parmesan is in a plastic container, transfer it to an oven-safe container. To keep the dish wet, cover it with foil and heat it for 60 minutes, or until the sauce begins to boil around the edges.
Is it better to freeze eggplant parmesan before or after cooking?
Freeze eggplant Parmesan at 0°F within two hours of baking to prevent bacterial growth. Wrap the casserole in plastic wrap and set it in a freezer bag or container. Date the package and utilize it within 3-4 months of the date.