Vegetable Parmesan (Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash)

This is one of my favorite Italian recipes! I had been wanting to make a hearty, meatless meal for a while. One that would satisfy the men in my life (brother and bf) who believe that a meal is incomplete without meat. This did it! I didn't even tell them it was meatless until after I got their votes of approval... sneaky, I know. I also made this dish gluten-free for Mom, who is sensitive to the stuff. The best thing about this recipe? Its even better the next day. You just can't beat dishes that make great leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
2 medium zucchini
2 medium squash
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 jar of marinara sauce
3 eggs
splash of milk
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 box of bread crumbs (I used gluten free and seasoned them myself, regular Italian seasoned is fine)
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
salt
pepper
Olive oil for pan frying veggies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Chop eggplant, zucchini and squash into 1/2 inch slices.
Combine eggs with milk, salt, and pepper.
Mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste, if you aren't using pre-seasoned breadcrumbs. If you are, throw in some garlic powder anyway...because garlic is wonderful.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray or rub with olive oil. Set aside.
Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium.
While the skillet is heating, begin dipping the veggies in the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs to coat them.
Once the skillet is heated, pan fry the veggies in the skillet until they are golden brown and can be easily pierced with a fork. Place the pan-fried veggies on a paper-towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
Begin placing the first layer into the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour 1/3 of the marinara sauce over the vegetables. Top with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella, a few basil leaves, and 1/3 of the slices of fresh mozzarella. Repeat layering 2 more times until all veggies are used. Top with leftover marinara, basil leaves, and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle parmesan on the top.

Place in oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Variations: You could add meat sauce or prepare with chicken to make this dish even heartier. Also, if you prefer to use all eggplant, that works well too! There is a lot of room for variation in this recipe.