Baked Falafel Parmesan

April 23, 2013

In my ever-present goal to eat healthier and more balanced meals, I have found myself going back to my vegetarian ways. Yes, you are reading that correctly. The girl that just posted a recipe for a loaded nacho burger is giving all that up most nights for a big bowl of kale, spinach, and romaine with a light lemon vinaigrette.

After having salads for an entire week for lunch, I got a little bored. I remembered a story my brother told me about the kitchen he manages. He told me that one day, he forgot to put a vegetarian/vegan item on the dinner menu.

My brother ran into the back to frantically talk with his chef about what the heck they were going to do. After some choice words and some scrambling, they came up with the idea for falafel parmesan. Needless to say, the hungry waiting vegetarians were so thrilled with the idea, they came back for more.

So, in order to take a break from salads, I decided to test my brother’s recipe idea in my own way. Boom, boom, pow! This dish blew my wimpy salads out of the water! I eat this dish alone, over noodles, in a pita, or even on a burger bun.

For once, my brother may know a little more than me (when it comes to food)!

Baked Falafel Parmesan

Course Entree
Cuisine Middle Eastern/Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Author Sarcastic Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1, 15- Ounce Can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • ¼ Cup Diced Onion
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ Teaspoon Coriander
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tablespoon Roughly Chopped Parsley
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup Marinara
  • ½ - ¾ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Add chickpeas, flour, garlic, onion, zest, parsley, and spices to a food processor. Puree until almost smooth—you still want to see some chickpeas.
  3. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a large baking dish. Form the falafel mixture into six small patties that are about two inches in size. Place the patties into the dish. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and crispy.
  4. Remove the falafels from the dish and place on a plate off to the side. Pour the marinara into the baking dish. Return the falafel to the pan, cover with cheese. Bake for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.

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  • Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine)
    April 24, 2013 at 11:51 am

    That is SUCH an amazing idea! I love falafel, and parmasean, but never thought to put the two together. Good thinking on your brother’s part 😉

  • Ellie
    April 23, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    Oooh, I definitely want to try this out since I love me some chickpeas! Looks great!

  • Susan
    April 23, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Oh man, I love falafel. This sounds like one amazing combination.

  • Alanna
    April 23, 2013 at 8:15 pm

    I made this for dinner and it is AMAZING! I used 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 1/4 cup of shredded mozzerella. I will definitely be making this dish often 🙂

    • Stefanie
      April 23, 2013 at 10:33 pm

      Yay! So happy you liked it Alanna!

  • Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry!
    April 23, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    Definitely a new and interesting twist on falafel! I think my whole family would like this. Just put it on my must-try list!

  • DessertForTwo
    April 23, 2013 at 7:11 pm

    This sounds fantastic! I too waver with my vegetarianism. In fact, if I weren’t married, I’d never eat meat.

  • Wendy
    April 23, 2013 at 6:35 pm

    This is something my whole family would eat, vegetarian and carnivores! I have never treated falafel as anything but falafel ( in pita or a salad). What a great idea to use falafel patties like you would a meat pattie or chicken breast! I will be trying this soon!

  • Anita at Hungry Couple
    April 23, 2013 at 3:31 pm

    Falafel is one of my FAVORITE foods! I’ve never had it in a tomato sauce, though, but I’d be happy to try.

  • Sylvia @ reelflavor.com
    April 23, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    Oh muh lordy! This looks and sounds sooooo good! I love falafel and I love baked parmesan dishes. Done. Sold. I’m making this. Like now.

  • Laurel
    April 23, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    This is also genius for those of us on a reduced income – thanks so much for another fabu recipe!

  • Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
    April 23, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    Gah, this is genius! I was about to shed a tear for you for having to give up nacho burgers, but if you can eat this instead, it’s not bad. Not bad at all. 🙂

  • Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
    April 23, 2013 at 11:29 am

    Oooo, what a good idea! I love falafel – I always bake mine anyway, so might as well throw some marinara and cheese on top!

  • Isabelle @ Crumb
    April 23, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Ermahgerd. This sounds like my two favourite dishes had a delicious, delicious baby together. (Honestly, I’ll eat anything if it’s topped with marinara sauce and melted cheese. And I do mean anything.)
    We’re always on the lookout for interesting things we can serve to our vegetarian friends when they come over, and this is totally going to the top of the list. YUM!

  • Julia
    April 23, 2013 at 9:52 am

    Wow!! I love this dish. Falafel is one of our favorites. I am totally trying this one out.

  • Sadye
    April 23, 2013 at 9:19 am

    Looks delicious! Is this one of those recipes where a blender can substitute for a food processor, or is it a task only a processor can handle?

    • Stefanie
      April 23, 2013 at 10:11 am

      Actually if you finely dice/chop the onion, garlic, and parsley you can just mash up the chickpeas with a potato masher or a fork. No food processor needed!

  • Cassie | Bake Your Day
    April 23, 2013 at 8:48 am

    I love this, Stefanie! Great flavors and so unique!

    • Stefanie
      April 23, 2013 at 9:04 am

      Thanks Cassie!

  • Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
    April 23, 2013 at 8:41 am

    You know, generally I’m not into falafel but all Italian-fied like this….I might be 😀