Eggplant Casserole Recipe - The Best Comfort Food You Never Tried

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: ricotta cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces fat while maintaining texture.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Grana padano is a less expensive cheese that can substitute well.

Heat a cast iron skillet and add a little avocado oil.

Add 2 lbs of ground beef to the skillet and season with granulated garlic, granulated onion, kosher salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano.

Use a potato masher to break up the ground beef and let it brown, mashing it again for nice crumbles.

Once browned, switch to a spoon to continue cooking the beef.

Wash 2 whole eggplants and cut them into thin slices, noting that thicker slices can also be used if preferred.

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt, stacking them to ensure even salting, and let sit to draw out bitterness.

Rinse the salted eggplant slices under cold water to remove excess salt and pat dry.

In the same skillet used for the beef, add the rinsed eggplant slices and cook until they are slightly softened, allowing moisture to steam them.

Layer the cooked eggplant in a casserole dish, followed by a layer of the meat sauce made from the ground beef and marinara sauce.

Continue layering with more eggplant and meat sauce, finishing with a layer of cheese on top.

Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 35 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Let the casserole cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens