Eggplant Casserole

A bowl of hearty eggplant casserole makes a perfect comfort dish!

If I have to choose a dish that I can eat without getting bored, it has to be eggplant casserole. After all, this comfort dish bursts out with wonderful flavors, which always leaves foodies craving for more.

Combined with a handful of spices and tomato sauce, the eggplant casserole is perfect even for picky eaters. The cheese added to the dish is a sure-fire way to get anyone to happily eat a bunch of vegetables in a healthy and tasty way.

What’s better? Well, you can use my eggplant casserole recipe as a side dish or main dish. Usually, I enjoy eating it as it is, but sometimes, I combine it with rice or pasta. Chicken, steak, and pork make a great side dish with eggplant casserole. So, that’s a win-win.

A perfect casserole is considered to be a celebration of summer veggies. But for my casserole, I have strictly kept the veggies limited so new cooks can easily replicate the taste.

Scroll down to get into the details of my eggplant casserole recipe.

Baked Eggplant Casserole Recipe

I have almost never appreciated the flavor of eggplant. But ever since I have prepared this casserole, I have been looking for reasons to prepare it again and again. That’s because the ultimate combination of tomato, cheese, and eggplant is wonderful.

The leftovers of this recipe taste as good as freshly made ones. That means you can prepare it in bulk and store it in an airtight container.

It’s not a classic family recipe but a recipe I have learned online and given my twist. I have seen many variations of this recipe. But honestly, I like my recipe because it has limited ingredients, more flavors, and it gets prepared in an hour.

If you do not like the eggplant skin, you can peel them for this recipe. But peeling is not necessary.

You can prepare this dish many times a month without getting bored of its flavors with a few adaptations. You can feel free to add additional ingredients to this dish to get an extra punch of flavors. But for now, I have mentioned my recipe process, so you recreate the same magic.

Baked Eggplant Casserole

Steps to Make Delicious Eggplant Casserole

Yes, this recipe has a few steps. But it’s worth it to follow the steps till the end without fail. Scroll down to have a look.

Step One

For the preparation of eggplant casserole, you obviously need an eggplant. Wash it properly under running water so all the dirt can be removed. Then slice the veggie evenly and put it aside in a bowl.

In a small bowl, mix salt and pepper to taste. Take one cup of grated cheese and one cup of tomato sauce. Put it aside and start cooking.

Eggplant Casserole step 01

Step Two

Once you have arranged all the required ingredients, take a baking tray and line it with a piece of parchment paper. Next, arrange all the evenly cut eggplant and drizzle some oil.

Before putting the tray in the oven, season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste. Then bake the veggie for about 25 minutes in an already heated oven at 350 F degrees.

Take out the tray and let it rest for some time. Meanwhile, take a non-stick casserole pan and nicely grease it with oil. Layer half of the baked eggplant on the bottom of the pan and cover it with a half cup of grated cheese and a half cup of sauce.

Again, arrange the remaining baked eggplant on the top of cheese and sauce. Cover the eggplant with leftover sauce and grated cheese. Let the casserole pan rest inside an already heated oven for about 20-25 minutes until cooked.

Let it rest and serve with any side dish of your choice.

EggplantCasserole step-2

Key Notes:

  • Make sure that you properly add salt to the dish so the eggplant can release the moisture. Reducing the amount of salt can bring down the flavors of the dish.
  • If you do not have grated cheese or want an alternative, sliced mozzarella or cubed mozzarella seems to be a nicer option. Adding fresh cheese is recommended instead of the old ones.
  • If you have prepared a large batch of eggplant casserole, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. But you must not freeze it for a long time as the veggie might lose its texture and flavors.

Can I Fry Eggplants Instead of Baking Them?

Frying eggplant also seems to be a nice option. But while doing so, make sure that you nicely salt the veggie, so it releases the water. Also, eggplants are known to use a lot of oil. So, you must be ready to use a lot of it.

What to Serve With Eggplant Casserole?

The eggplant makes a perfect side dish, but one can also eat it as a main dish. You can pair the dish with chicken, pork, or steak as a side dish. But if you want to keep the dish meatless, steamed broccoli and arugula salad make the right combination.

Equipment

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Eggplant Casserole Recipe

Eggplant casserole makes a perfect comfort dish without being too heavy. But do you know its recipe? Or at least have you seen someone preparing it? If not, you must try my eggplant casserole recipe today to experience the rich flavors in a delicious way.
Servings 3 People
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Parchment paper
  • Oven tray

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 eggplant, cut into slices
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup grated cheese
  • 1 cup tomato sauce

Instructions

  • Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking tray lined with a piece of parchment paper.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle some oil.
  • Bake in an already heated oven at 350 F or 180 C degrees for about 25 minutes.
  • Brush a non-stick casserole pan with oil and layer half of the slices of baked eggplant. Sprinkle ½ cup grated cheese and ½ cup tomato sauce.
  • Then, add the remaining eggplant slices and sprinkle the other ½ cup of grated cheese and the rest of the tomato sauce.
  • Bake in an already heated oven at 350 F or 180 C degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes
Author: Scrappy Geek
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

https://youtu.be/q9zpSIY9nQQ

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