Add the tomato slices, tomato chunks and garlic to the second baking sheet.

Sprinkle the top with the excess breadcrumbs. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on one of the baking sheets.

Spray the eggplant on both sides with cooking spray and then dredge in the bread crumbs/Parmesan mixture.

Mix together a 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Slice the fresh mozzarella into 8 slices.

Cut 3 medium sized tomatoes in half, then into fourths and then into eighths.

Cut the large tomatoes in 1/2-inch thick slices.

Flip the eggplant and repeat on the second side. Use a paper towel to wipe off the excess fluid. Let the eggplant rest for about 8 minutes. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on a plate or cutting board and sprinkle with a generous amount of kosher salt.

Cut the eggplant into 8, 1-inch slices.My taste buds appreciate that I enjoy the act of cooking.

In the end it was worth the extra steps to give attention to each component of the meal. I made my own bread crumbs, grated my own cheese, made sauce from scratch and used a simmered balsamic reduction. Hopefully you are more disciplined about not dirtying everything you own. In true Jacked Kitchen fashion that doesn’t include taking the easy route, I made a royal disaster of my kitchen putting this together. It’s like a towering version of eggplant lasagna. The stacks stick together with creamy, fresh mozzarella. I lightly coated the eggplant in buttery breadcrumbs with a slightly salty Parmesan. I wanted even more tomato-y goodness so I made a roasted tomato and garlic sauce for the side. I found some really great heirlooms tomatoes at the farmers market for this dish. I’m very fickle about eating tomatoes unless their texture is tender and the flavors are sweet.

These eggplant and tomato mozzarella stacks came together out of my love for in season produce at the end of summer. Is it a little weird? Maybe, but it’s a way for us all to relate to each other and become more inspired. Our culture has become very food obsessed that we can scroll through pictures of food all over the internet or snap pictures of every meal to post on our social media. And cooking is something that we can all share together. You don’t have to be perfect at every chef technique or skill. The kitchen is a safe place to be creative. I get to see from start to finish my own concoction of flavors. I love getting everything chopped and prepped and then watching a dish come together by the act of my own creation. I like picking out all of my ingredients in anticipation of what the flavors will taste like together.

Eggplant stacks with mozzarella