Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Quick and Easy Eggplant Casserole

IMG_20110827_185124Krista had a funny post last week about neighbors sneaking paper bags full of garden veggies onto doorsteps.

I laughed because it rang true for me. I can’t even escape paper bags from my own family. I was leaving from a quick visit with my mother and she shoved a bag into my hands. “Take this,” she said.

“What is it?” I was a little anxious.

“Eggplant.”

“It’s all eggplant? This huge bag? Mama, I can’t eat that much eggplant!”RileyAdamsFoodBlogPostpic_thumb_thumb[3]

“Just take it.”

So…I ended up with a bunch of eggplant. :) Guess what my recipe is for today?

This is probably the easiest recipe for eggplant out there. Because these veggies were so young and tender, I didn’t even peel the eggplants…but if yours have tougher skin, feel free to.

I also substituted crushed cheese crackers for the bread crumbs. I can’t really explain why….but it was very tasty. :)

Easy Eggplant Casserole

1 medium eggplant, sliced and peeled
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 egg
1 C grated cheese
1 t salt
dash of pepper
2 T melted butter
1 C bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil sliced eggplant and onion in water until tender. Drain and add egg, cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle mixture on top of casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

What do you do with your eggplant? :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Finger Lickin’ Dead (Riley Adams)
Progressive Dinner Deadly ($2.99 on Kindle—Elizabeth Craig)

11 comments:

  1. I picked up an eggplant at the store because it looked so good, but when I got home I realized I didn't have any idea what to do with it! I'm going to try your recipe tonight :)
    Nicole L.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I tend to buy eggplant because it's cute (my farmers market has an amazing variety), not because I like to eat it. Last time I brought home some cute long, skinny ones, which don't last long because they're so small. My daughter sliced them, coated them with egg and panko (gotta love panko!) and sauteed them in oil--they were yummy. But it wouldn't work with bigger ones because they soak up too much oil.

    This recipe does sound interesting. I like the way you cook the eggplant and the onion together.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nicole--Hope you'll enjoy it! Yes, I'm going on an eggplant recipe expedition now, considering how many eggplants I currently have on hand...

    Sheila--Good point about the size of the eggplants. It's funny, but a lot depends on both the size and the freshness of the veggie. I like the way your daughter cooked them. :) Easy and good!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I want to eat even more eggplant now that I know how delicious it is without all the oil that I always used. I love that you've boiled it, Elizabeth. All the flavor and none of the guilt! Sounds wonderful!

    ~ Krista

    ReplyDelete
  5. WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE??? No one gives me produce... sigh

    BTW, small slits in baby eggplant, insert garlic and any time you grill, add one for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. slice top, bottom, one slit down side, open, scrape, add a bit of lemon juice, into a mini chopper and you have a FAST, little fuss and very tasty dip

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bless your mom's heart for wanting to share, lol! Eggplant makes for a wonderful lunch, dinner, or side dish, and this recipe is a keeper. Thanks!

    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

    ReplyDelete
  7. Krista--The boiling really does help keep it healthy. I like to skip oil, if possible, too. :)

    Inspired by eRecipeCards--Dave! That sounds awesome! I've still got gobs of eggplant so I appreciate the tip. :)

    And...you need to live in the Southeast! We've got veggies coming out of our ears down here...

    Cleo--I question Mama's motives in handing the eggplant off to me, but it sure ended up tasty. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Too funny that you and Krista had the same experience re: too much of a good thing.

    Though I have to admit I'm not an eggplant fan (I was but then had a bad experience, and well, you know how that goes), but this looks good, so I'll give it a go!

    ~Avery

    ReplyDelete
  9. This does look easy and yummy. Now if I can just get something to thrust some eggplant into my hands. I suppose I'll just go by some. Thanks Elizabeth.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Avery--Hope you'll enjoy it!

    MJ--Wish you lived nearby and I could give you some of mine!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I sometimes think it's time to try eggplant again but then I am not sure what to do with it. Made a so-so eggplant salad recently. This sounds much better. I'll try it.

    ReplyDelete