Fried Green Tomato Parmesan

I am absolutely torn up about what recipe to share next. We have been canning and freezing up a storm and so those recipe seem timely. But then my Chief Culinary Consultant and main-man gardener starts bringing me the most beautiful green tomatoes and all other recipes fly out the window!It all started very innocently when the first green tomatoes were used for the typical Fried Green Tomatoes – Southern Style. The Chief especially liked the fried green tomatoes and was wondering out loud “when will we have them again?” I, on the other hand wasn’t quite so ready for another round. At the same time I was busy cooking up fresh marinara sauce from the ripened tomatoes the garden is producing en masse. It was at the end of a marathon cooking session and the need for dinner that I decided to make Fried Green Tomatoes Parmesan. I figured I could use some of the days fresh marinara sauce and make the Chief happy with some more fried green tomatoes. WHAT a surprise dinner we had! All I can say is MOVE OVER chicken and eggplant because we have a new Parmesan in our house!

I started by adding Italian seasoning to my cornmeal mix that became the breading for the tomatoes.
Don’t be alarmed about all that grease. When the grease is hot and these are fried quickly, they aren’t greasy at all.
I laid these to rest on a paper towel while I readied the baking dish.
I added browned Italian sausage to my freshly made marinara and spread a little bit in the bottom of the baking dish. The tomatoes were layered with a sprinkling of Italian Blend cheeses. Look at this marinara! Please excuse me for bragging, but it is some of the best I have ever made. I layered the rest of the tomatoes, marinara/meat mixture and more cheese. I baked this for 30 minutes and then topped with Parmesan and baked a few more minutes.
When it was all said and done the Chief, my sous-chef dish-washing mom, and I decided our new favorite dish is Fried Green Tomato Parmesan! I served this with a tossed green salad and it was all D-E-L-I-S-H!