I made eggplant Parmesan using recipes from 3 celebrity chefs. The best one was worth the extra time and effort.

When I first saw Bobby Flay's eggplant Parmesan recipe, I knew it would be an all-day affair. Not only does it involve making your own sauce, but it also requires making and drying out the breadcrumbs, breading the eggplant, and finally, deep frying it.

The recipe didn't account for the time it took to do things like dry out the bread before making it into breadcrumbs, chop all the veggies and herbs, or roast red peppers for the sauce.

Even after cutting the recipe down to one-third of the original amount since I was the only person eating the meal, it still took nearly four hours to finish making it.

Before starting, I roasted some red peppers in the oven. Then, I had to dry out the bread, pulverize it into crumbs with a food processor, and dry out the crumbs for the eggplant breading. The crumbs were mixed with herbs, salt, and pepper to finish.

While the breadcrumbs were drying out in the oven, I also began making the sauce, which was started in a large pot, blitzed in the food processor, and then left to simmer while I fried the eggplant.

After all that, I still had to layer the sauce, eggplant, cheese, and fresh basil and bake the whole thing in the oven.

It was a bit frustrating to handle so many overlapping tasks in a small kitchen. I have to admit, though, everything looked and smelled amazing as it was cooking.

The breaded eggplant looked golden and crispy while frying, and the smell of the homemade roasted-red-pepper sauce was incredible.

Despite the long preparation time, this dish was worth the time and effort. The sauce had a good balance of sweetness, acidity, and fresh flavor from the herbs, and I loved the twist of adding roasted-red peppers. The four different cheeses, added in layers, also made it incredibly rich.

After frying and then baking, the eggplant turned out so soft that it just melted in my mouth. This, plus the cheesy layers, was balanced out by the slight crisp from the golden-brown cheese on top and the breading on the eggplant.

My only complaint is that because the eggplant was fried, this didn't reheat well. In the future, it would definitely be worth making again for a special meal. However, I would probably make the breadcrumbs and sauce in advance to avoid tackling so many tasks at once.

After spending a full afternoon working on Flay's eggplant Parmesan recipe, it was such a relief to see the short ingredient list — including premade sauce and breadcrumbs — in the eggplant Parmesan recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

Although I was excited to tackle an easier recipe, I wondered if something that could be made so quickly with so many premade ingredients would be any good.

My local grocery store doesn't sell Japanese eggplant, which is typically narrower and slightly sweeter than American eggplant.

For this recipe, I decided to substitute it with American eggplant, which is what I used in the other eggplant Parmesan dishes I tested.

Aside from not having the right eggplant, this meal was easy to make.

I sliced the eggplant lengthwise to make slabs. Then, I scored the eggplant, coated it in oil and salt, and roasted it briefly in the oven.

After that, I simply had to top the eggplant with some jarred marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, and a quick crumble made from panko breadcrumbs, freshly grated Parmesan, and oil. I returned the pan to the oven for just 12 minutes before it was ready.

Because it took less than 45 minutes to prepare, De Laurentiis' eggplant Parmesan recipe will be one I turn to again on busier days when I want a nicer dinner.

It still tasted great, with a crispy topping and tender eggplant. I also liked the heat from the red-pepper flakes added at the end and the freshness from the torn basil.

Also, it had far less cheese than any of the other eggplant Parmesan recipes I tried. I love cheese, but it's nice to have an option where I could still taste the eggplant.

The eggplant Parmesan recipe from Ina Garten was a middle-ground of the other two extremes.

It didn't take as long as Flay's or as short as De Laurentiis' dishes to prepare, and while it had some homemade touches, like the breadcrumb topping, it also made use of premade ingredients, like marinara sauce.

Rather than a slab of eggplant topped with sauce and cheese, Garten's recipe layers half-slices of roasted eggplant, sauce, cheese, and basil before topping everything with breadcrumbs.

I started by slicing the eggplant into semi-circle pieces, brushing both sides with oil, and then coating the eggplant in salt, pepper, and dried oregano.

The dish baked for about 25 minutes, and I turned the slices over 15 minutes into the baking time.

The breadcrumbs, made from a country-style bread loaf, were combined with fresh garlic, fresh parsley, and olive oil. The garlic alone made this part smell incredible.

I layered the baking dish with jarred marinara sauce, eggplant slices, fresh basil, and three different kinds of cheese: freshly sliced mozzarella, freshly grated Parmesan, and some garlic-and-herb goat cheese.

After three layers, I topped this dish off with the breadcrumbs and returned it to the oven.

I couldn't wait to dig into this meal when I smelled it baking. It smelled so garlicky and delicious, and it came out with a golden, crispy-breadcrumb topping and plenty of bubbling sauce and cheese. The eggplant turned out very soft and melted in my mouth, and the dish was gooey from all the cheese.

While I liked the tanginess and herby flavors from the goat cheese, I thought it was a little overpowering. I'd probably use about half as much next time.

It was hard to choose a favorite between Flay's and Garten's recipes. Although it took a long time to make, I ended up loving Flay's eggplant Parmesan recipe the most. Next time, I'll make some of the components in advance to make the process feel easier.

As much as I enjoyed the taste of Flay's fried eggplant Parmesan dish, I'll need to reserve it for weekends or gatherings when I have more time to cook.

For days when I am short on time, I wouldn't mind making De Laurentiis' recipe again. It was quick and easy but still tasted great.

On a normal night, when I'm not rushed for time or looking to spend several hours cooking, I'd turn to Garten's crispy, gooey eggplant parm.