Scalloped Eggplant Casserole Recipe
Baked Aubergine Casserole Using Tomatoes, Peppers, and Bread Crumbs
Sep 4, 2009
Known as aubergines in European cooking, eggplants originated in India and were first cultivated in China. A member of the nightshade family, eggplants come in a variety of colors and shapes. The raw texture is spongy and can be baked, fried, sauteed, roasted, or stewed. A versatile vegetable, eggplant can be used in many ways.
Eggplant casserole is an excellent introduction to eggplant. The casserole is easy to make and showcases eggplant perfectly. The richness of the eggplant is counterbalanced by the tangy tomato sauce. The eggplant will become quite soft as is common when eggplant is stewed or baked with a sauce.
How to Select an Eggplant or Aubergine
Eggplants sold in North America are typically a large, deep purple egg-shaped variety. When selecting an eggplant, select one which has a shiny, healthy looking skin without any dark blemishes. The eggplant should be firm to the touch and not soft. Looking a the top stem of the eggplant can be an indicator of freshness. The more green the stem, the more recently it was harvested.
Eggplants do not need to be peeled but larger eggplants tend to be more mature and have tougher skins. The top of the eggplant will contain a noticeable stem which should be trimmed away. The interior of the eggplant will be creamy white and studded with small seeds. The entire interior should be eaten and does not need to be seeded.
Scalloped Eggplant Casserole
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant (aubergine), peeled and cubed
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing baking dish
- 2 tablespoons green pepper (capsicum), diced
- 2 tablespoons onion, diced
- 2 cups tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to a temperature of 350F (170C)
- Grease a casserole dish with butter and set aside
- Peel the eggplant and cut into 3/4" cubes
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and add to it the onion and green pepper. Continue cooking until lightly browned.
- Add tomatoes, salt, and eggplant. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the eggplant mixture is simmering, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan. Add bread crumbs and fry until lightly browned.
- Pour eggplant mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with toasted bread crumbs.
- Place casserole dish into the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until bubbling.
For people who are new to using eggplant, this eggplant casserole recipe is easy to make and delicious. The recipe is best when a fresh and healthy eggplant is selected.
For additional casserole recipes, these articles may be of interest:
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