Portabello Parmesan

Baked cheesy deliciousness... yes, please! And we can call it healthful because it's mushrooms... right?

In the recipe, you make your own marinara sauce, however, if you have one that you love, just use it. That will halve the time it takes to make this dish!

Portobello Parmesan

Adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the dish

3 portobello mushroom caps

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

4 fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper

2 c panko bread crumbs

1 c grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp chopped parsley

4 lrg eggs

1 c flour

Veggie oil for frying

4 oz mozzarella, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. Scrape out the gills of the portobellos with a spoon then halve the shrooms horizontally to make 6 thin rounds.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 min. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomatoes and basil and cook until the garlic is soft, about 15 min more. For a smooth sauce, transfer to the food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the panko, 1/2 c Parmesan, 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a shallow bowl. whisk the eggs and 2 tbsp water in another bowl. Put the flour in a third bowl.

Dredge the shrooms in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the eggs and then in the panko mixture, pressing to coat both sides. Heat 1/2 inch veggie oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Working in batches, fry the shrooms until golden, about 2 min per side. Drain on paper towels.

Spread a layer of the marinara sauce in the prepared baking dish. Add the shrooms, then cover with the remaining sauce. Top with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until browned, 20-25 min. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.