Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried basil, salt, dried oregano, garlic powder, and pepper.
Dip 1 eggplant slice in egg, letting excess egg drip off, then dredge in bread crumb mixture until evenly coated, shaking off excess. Place on a large sheet of wax paper or on a large plate.
In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil for 30 seconds. Add 3 eggplant slices and fry 5 minutes until golden, turning over once halfway through frying. Transfer to a large paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.Pro Tip: Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil so you may find that you need to add additional olive oil to the skillet when frying the second batch of eggplant.
To Assemble: Arrange ½ of the eggplant in a layer on the bottom of a small baking dish lightly greased with cooking spray or olive oil.
Cover eggplant with ½ of the mozzarella cheese and ½ of the tomato sauce. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, mozzarella, and sauce. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.Pro Tip: Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drippings from the sauce and cheese while the Eggplant Parmesan bakes.
Bake for 30 minutes until cheese has melted.
Notes
Maximize convenience with these three make-ahead methods for Eggplant Parmesan:
Full Bake Method: Cook the entire casserole a day prior, let it cool, then cover and place in the fridge. Reheat at 350°F until the center is warm and the edges are bubbling with cheese and sauce.
Pre-Fry Method: Opt to fry your eggplant slices a day or two in advance to simplify your cooking process. Store them in the fridge until you're ready to assemble and bake the casserole.
Pre-Assemble Method: Create the casserole layers a day before you plan to eat, cover, and refrigerate. About 30 minutes before baking, remove from the fridge and let it come closer to room temperature as your oven preheats. Then bake as usual.