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The inspiration for this Easy Eggplant Bake came from this cookbook published way back in 1992! I’ve been making the recipe for years, tweaking it along the way with my own touches. If you are looking for a delicious low calorie / low carb dinner, this one is for you!
While it may seem that there are many steps to making this Easy Eggplant Bake, let’s break it down into three. Making the meat sauce, prepping the eggplant and preparing the white sauce.
Step 1: Make the meat sauce
Saute onions in just a small amount of oil. If you have a really good non-stick pan, you can use just a teaspoon or so. To that, add ground beef. I’m using and 80/20 blend. Near the end of cooking, add minced garlic.
Season with salt and pepper, then add the tomato sauce.
I like to let this cook down so the flavors meld just as if you were cooking sauce for spaghetti. Set aside.
Step 2: Let’s cook the eggplant
The preparation for the eggplant is really simple. The original recipe says to trim the ends and peel using a vegetable peeler (or knife).
Then, slice into 1/2″ thick pieces.
Immediately place them into a pan with shallow, boiling water and cover. Cook until just tender. About 5-6 minutes. I flip them about half way through the cooking time.
You want to remove any excess moisture at this point, so lay them in a single layer on paper towels to drain.
Step 3: Preparing the white sauce
While the eggplant cools a little bit, add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a small pan and cook until thickened.
Now let’s assemble the dish!
Start with a layer of eggplant followed by a layer of meat sauce. Then repeat one more time.
Drizzle that cheesy white sauce and top with parmesan.
Bake until golden and bubbly, but be sure to cool for just a few minutes before serving. That eggplant is hot!
We serve this as a main dish in our family, so about 3-4 slices per person depending on the size of the eggplant. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Chef’s note: If you are not following a low carb diet, our family loves to add bread to sop up all of the remaining sauces.
Did you make my Easy Eggplant Bake? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought.
Easy Eggplant Bake Recipe
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Skillet
- Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 2 medium Eggplant peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
FOR THE MEAT SAUCE:
- 1 tsp Oil add more if needed
- 1/2 c Onion finely diced
- 3/4 c 80/20 Ground Beef
- 15 oz Tomato Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
FOR THE CHEESY WHITE SAUCE:
- 1 tbsp Margarine
- 4 tsp All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- dash Pepper
- 3/4 c Milk
FOR SERVING:
- 3 tbsp Parmesan grated
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE EGGPLANT:
- Bring a large skillet with one half inch of water to a boil.
- Trim the ends from the eggplant and using a vegetable peeler, peel the eggplant. You can also use a sharp knife. Then slice the eggplant into 1/2" slices
- Place the slices in the boiling water until JUST tender (do not overcook as these will continue in the oven). About 5 minutes or so.
- Drain excess water on paper towels.
TO PREPARE THE MEAT SAUCE:
- Add a small amount of oil to a skillet with onions and ground beef.
- Add garlic, if desired and the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cooking down until a bit thickened. Set aside.
TO PREPARE THE CHEESY WHITE SAUCE:
- Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium high heat until thickened.
TO ASSEMBLE:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, then add one layer of eggplant slices. Top with with meat sauce and repeat with another layer of eggplant then meat sauce.
- Drizzle with the white sauce and top with parmesan.
- Bake until golden and bubbly, allowing to cool slightly before serving.
