Eggplant Casserole
intro
Tender roasted eggplant layered with garlicky marinara, melted mozzarella, and crispy panko topping, baked to golden bubbly perfection for a cozy family meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and salt eggplant
Arrange the 1cm-thick sliced eggplant rounds in a single layer on paper towel-lined baking sheets, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt evenly over both sides of the slices, and let rest for 20 minutes at room temperature to draw out excess moisture and reduce bitterness. Pat slices completely dry with fresh paper towels before proceeding.
Roast eggplant slices
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush both sides of the dried eggplant slices with 45ml (3 tablespoons) of olive oil, arrange in a single layer across two parchment-lined baking sheets, and roast for 15 minutes, then flip each slice and roast for an additional 10 minutes until tender and lightly golden at the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.
Mix cheese crumb topping
In a small mixing bowl, combine 50g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan, 80g (2/3 cup) panko breadcrumbs, remaining 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir until crumbs are evenly coated in oil, then set aside for the top layer.
Layer casserole components
Stir the 15g (3 cloves) minced garlic into the 720ml (3 cups) marinara sauce until evenly combined. Spread 120ml (1/2 cup) of the garlicky marinara evenly across the bottom of a 23cm x 33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish. Divide the remaining 600ml (2.5 cups) marinara and 340g (3 cups) shredded mozzarella into 3 equal portions. Layer 1/3 of the roasted eggplant slices in a slightly overlapping single layer over the base sauce, then top with one portion of marinara, one portion of mozzarella, and a pinch of dried oregano. Repeat this eggplant-marinara-mozzarella sequence two more times to use all remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheese.
Bake until golden bubbly
Sprinkle the reserved panko-Parmesan topping evenly over the final cheese layer of the casserole. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, place in the preheated 200°C (400°F) oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 15 minutes until the topping is deep golden and crispy, and sauce is actively bubbling around the dish edges.
Rest and serve casserole
Remove the baked casserole from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow layers to set, then top with torn fresh basil leaves and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper before slicing and serving.
Tips
2.Use low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella for this recipe: fresh mozzarella has a very high water content that will leak into the casserole and create a watery, loose final texture.
3.This casserole can be fully assembled 1 day in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator; add 5 minutes to the covered bake time if cooking it straight from chilled to ensure it heats through evenly.
OMG this savory baked eggplant casserole was such a game changer for our weekly Sunday family dinner! I was worried the eggplant would get mushy like every other recipe I’ve tried, but salting it ahead like the instructions said made all the difference. My super picky 7 year old asked for seconds, which never happens with veggie dishes. Only heads up: block off enough time, it does take the full hour and 45 minutes so don’t try to rush it on a busy weeknight! 10/10 will be bringing this to our next neighborhood potluck too.
Solid recipe, came out great for my weekly meal prep! I swapped regular breadcrumbs for panko to get extra crunch on top, and added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a tiny heat kick. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is the difficulty felt a touch higher than medium for me — between roasting the eggplant, stirring up the sauce, and layering everything, it took me closer to 2 hours total start to finish. Still, the flavor is SO good, two of my coworkers already asked for the recipe when I heated up a serving for lunch this week.
Made this for my grandkids when they visited last weekend and it was a total hit! I used homemade marinara made with tomatoes from my backyard garden instead of store-bought, and snuck in a layer of sautéed spinach between the eggplant and cheese for extra veggies. It held up perfectly when we reheated leftovers the next day too. Such a cozy, satisfying dish — way lighter than the heavy breaded eggplant parm I usually make that leaves everyone stuffed for hours. Will absolutely be making this on repeat all fall!