Thursday, August 19, 2010

Eggplant Casserole


Like any true Southerner, I love a casserole. All that ooey gooey goodness, whats not to love? And now that I have a baby and my time for cooking has dwindled, I love casseroles even more. They are super easy to make and can easily be made ahead of time and served later. This recipe is for a casserole that my mom and grandmother made all the time when I was growing up. I have tweaked it a bit and this is my adapted version. If you love eggplant you are going to love this casserole! So Paula Deen, eat your heart out (although I promise my casserole is healthier than what she would make)!

EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

-1 LARGE EGGPLANT- PEELED AND SLICED INTO THIN ROUNDS
-2-3 TOMATOES, SLICED
-1 WHITE ONION, SLICED
-1 BAG FRESH SPINACH
-1 BOTTLE OF ANNIES ROASTED RED PEPPER DRESSING
-SLICED CHEESE (I USE CRACKER BARREL WHITE CHEDDAR OR REGULAR CHEDDAR)

IN A CASSEROLE DISH (I USE THE 9X13 RECTANGLE SIZE)LAYER FIRST THE EGGPLANT, THEN TOMATO, ONIONS, AND SPINACH. POUR HALF THE BOTTLE OF DRESSING OVER THESE LAYERS. ADD A LAYER OF CHEESE. THEN REPEAT THE LAYERS ONCE MORE. POUR THE REMAINING DRESSING (SOMETIMES I DON'T USE THE WHOLE BOTTLE, DEPENDS HOW LIQUIDY YOU LIKE YOUR CASSEROLE). TOP WITH CHEESE. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES OR UNTIL BUBBLY.

**NOTE- YOU CAN REALLY USE ANY DRESSING YOU LOVE ON THIS CASSEROLE. I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL BUT PREFER THE ANNIES. IT IS ALSO GOOD WITH SUN DRIED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE OR ITALIAN. MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO MAKE HERS WITH CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP.

3 comments:

Abby said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hi! This recipe looks yummy! I've never cooked with eggplant before so I'll have to try it :)

Mama L said...

Hi Natalie! I made this for dinner tonight! My husband’s first ever vegetarian meal and it was a blazing success! Had to play around with the ingredients - used cream of mushroom soup, like your grandma, and added pine nuts. Couldn’t get any fresh spinach, so regrettably had to leave that out. Still delicious though. Thanks!