Eggplant Lasagna

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance that principle is contempt prior to investigation.” ~Herbert Spencer

This recipe was my introduction to eggplant. Eggplant was one of those things with an odd name, that I was not willing to try. I remember the first time I saw it in my weekly basket, I looked at it and thought “what do I do with that!?”

Determined not to waste any produce or defer from my goal of changing my eating habits and my preconceived notions. I researched eggplant. What I found was EGGPLANT LASAGNA GALORE! I tried a recipe online and much to my dismay (just like everything else I had been finding out lately), fruits and vegetables WERE’NT the ugly little green monsters I grew up thinking they were! After that, I started playing with the recipe and came up with this lasagna! Enjoy….Here’s a thought for you to take with you, it goes with the theme of my “preconceived notions on eating healthy food.”

Eggplant Lasagna

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants (I slice them vertically, into smaller pieces)
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 lb. Ricotta cheese
  • 2 lb. Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 jar Marinara Sauce of choice
  • 1/2 package of lasagna noodles
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano and basil) mix in with meat after cooking
  • 1 lb. of hamburger (hamburger is optional, it is a good way to hide the eggplant from stubborn people unwilling to try new things 🙂
  • 1 sup of mixed shredded cheese
  • Salt and Pepper (use judgment)
  • Basting brush, 2 cookie sheets and lasagna pan.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400º
  2. Mix together olive oil, 1 chopped garlic clove, salt and pepper.
  3. Use the basting brush to brush each side of the eggplant and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
  4. Bake until golden and soft (about 35 minutes), Turn half way through.
  5. Cook hamburger, add onion, mushrooms and other garlic clove, drain and add marinara sauce and Italian seasoning.
  6. Boil lasagna noodles, wash and drain.
  7. Remove eggplant from oven.
  8. Turn oven down to 350º
  9. In lasagna pan, layer in the following order. (use about half the mixture of each for the layer)
  10. Lasagna noodles
  11. Eggplant
  12. Hamburger mixture
  13. Ricotta cheese
  14. Mozzarella cheese
  15. *repeat layers
  16. And top with 1 Cup of mixed shredded Cheese.
  17. Cover with tin foil and cook for 45 minutes.

One Comment

  1. My kids are gluten-free & the GF lasagna noodles are kind of yucky. So, I slice eggplant long ways and use it to replace the lasagna noodles. Yummy!

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