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This cheesy eggplant bake recipe is a perfect weeknight dinner – this vegetarian casserole, which feeds a crowd, is loaded with fresh eggplant, baby spinach and fire roasted tomatoes.
This dish can be picked fresh from the garden.Roasted eggplant, juicy red tomatoes and fiber rich baby spinach come together deliciously.
Topped off with a easy cheesy crust this is one of those easy recipes that is sure to please.
Don’t have agarden?
Then head to your grocery store or local farmer’s market where are you are sure to find the freshest ingredients.
But you don’t need to wait for summer or even fall to get your hands on these ingredients. This cheesy baked eggplant recipe is delicious any time of the year.
It’s perfect for weekly meal plans and a great addition when you have dinner plans with the neighbors.
Also called a brinjal bake or baked talong, this baked aubergine casserole is all one in the same.
I used to make this cheesy eggplant casserole recipe all the time for my father in law. He loved eggplant and always requested this dish for dinner.
Eggplant wasn’t easy to come by in his childhood. I happily obliged. This cheesy eggplant casserole reminds me of him and I still make it regularly.
I grow eggplant in the garden and there is nothing like using fresh ingredients likewhite or purple eggplant, fresh picked tomatoes and fresh spinach leaves.
How to Make Baked Eggplant with Cheese
First, slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices, sweat the slices for a half hour. Next, grab a large glass non greased baking dish.
Place the eggplant slices in the bottom of the dish and sprinkle salt over the tops and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
Cook eggplant slices in the oven for about 10 minutes until the eggplant is soft.
Next simmer spinach, fire roasted tomatoes, chopped onion and fresh garlic in a large skillet on medium heat until the spinach wilts.
Assemble the eggplant in a casserole dish in a single layer and top with the spinach and tomato mixture.
Mix together the ricotta, Parmesan and fresh mozzarella cheeses.
Spread the cheeses on top and bake the whole thing for about 40 minutes in 425 degrees F oven.
Top with a half cup of fresh basil and serve!
Is this Cheesy Eggplant Bake Vegetarian?
This vegetarian dish is a perfect side dish or main course. Loaded with spinach, tomatoes and a few other vegetables, it’s a complete meal when you want a meatless Monday!
And it’s an easy way to prepare eggplant with no frying involved. And did I mention it’s low carb!
Throw it all in a casserole dish and this meal pretty much cooks itself.
This casserole will be bubbling as it comes out of the oven. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
This is one of my favorite eggplant recipes and is similar to myCrispy Eggplant Parmesan recipe. If you love eggplant, you’ll love this recipe too.
Easy casseroles for dinner
Try these easy casseroles for quick meals:
- Spinach and Meat Lasagna
- Hash Brown Egg Bake Casserole
- Buffalo Hashbrown Chicken Casserole
- Hash Brown Chicken Casserole
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Easy Cheesy Eggplant Bake Recipe (Vegetarian Casserole)
Ali Randall
This cheesy eggplant bake recipe is a perfect weeknight dinner – this vegetarian casserole, which feeds a crowd, is loaded with fresh eggplant, baby spinach and fire roasted tomatoes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 1large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 1 14 ounce can Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes with garlic
- 1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, cleaned, dried, stems removed
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices and place on a plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt and allow to sweat for 30 minutes. Rinse the slices and blot dry with paper towels.
Heat oven to 350°F. Layer eggplant slices on a lined baking sheet and drizzle each side with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.
While the eggplant is baking, combine the mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan in a large bowl and mix well.
Next, in a sauce pan over medium heat sauté the onion for about three minutes until caramelized. Add the garlic cloves, chopped tomato and spinach to the pan and stir until the spinach has wilted. Add the Hunt’s fire roasted tomatoes to the pan and stir to incorporate. The mixture should be saucy.
Increase the oven temp to 425 degrees. Arrange the baked eggplant slices in a rectangular baking dish and pour the tomato mixture on top.
Sprinkle the top of the baking dish with the cheese mixture, add pepper to taste and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is cheesy and bubbly on top.
Notes
Add mushrooms, sweet bell peppers and cooked ground spicy sausage or ground turkey for a meaty alternative.
Sprinkle with red-pepper flakes for a little heat.
Peel the eggplant ahead of time if you prefer a skinless eggplant casserole.
This recipe was originally published July 17, 2015.
Keyword Cheesy Eggplant Bake
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