Eggplant Chicken?

I don't know about any of you mommies of little ones but I am faced with a moral dilemma daily, to lie a little or play Russian roulette with the truth when it comes to feeding my picky toddlers.  I don't know if I would call it lying... it's more like putting an exciting spin on something that's not really exciting, maybe?  Dinner is always a time of walking on egg shells in our house.  Breakfast and lunch are pretty standards with not too many taste bud surprises but dinner can throw a good day out the window like a fart in the wind.  I'm sorry little ones but Momma can't survive on chicken nuggets and grapes every night like you would prefer so it's always an intense time until that first bite is accepted or even tried at all.  Sometimes things need to be delivered in deceiving packages.  Such as eggplant as chicken.

We are involved in a local farm food co-op (which I love and highly suggest to anyone who wants to eat organic and local on a budget) and are constantly getting new and untried fruits and veggies.  I am hesitant to admit that eggplant has always weirded me out a little.  I'm not quite sure why.  Maybe all the freakishly small slimy seeds inside and the texture when handling it.  But that is what we received this week and it was my job to disguise it into something even I could trick myself into eating.  And it worked.  I made eggplant parmesan that was so good my kids really believed it was "chicken and magic sprinkles (that's what we call parmesan cheese.  They will try anything with that stuff on it) and I think I even kind of believed it myself.  Here goes the recipes...

The picture stinks because I always take one last minute with my phone before the nightly food fight and wailing commences.  I served mine over whole wheat spaghetti noddles. Delish.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

•  1 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced (fed my husband and I and two toddlers)
•   1 egg, beaten
•   2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
•   3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided (I love Trader Joes Four Cheese)
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, (sliced or shredded) and divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. Place eggplant in a colander and salt.  Let sit for 30 minutes to sweat and then rinse and pat dry.
3. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes on each side.
4. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella (I placed slices on mine) and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
5. Turn oven down to 350 and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.