Eggplant and Sausage Casserole

 

This is an easy one dish deal and oh so tasty. My family are just as happy to have this as they are to have Lasagna and that is saying something. 

Here's what you'll need:

( 1 ) 9X13 baking dish

Italian Seasonings 1 tablespoon or more depending on your taste

1-2 pounds ground sausage

2 large Eggplants Sliced into 1/2 inch each

(2) 32 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes

2 cups of any shredded cheese you like, or more if you want it super cheesy

Parmesan cheese (to taste)

1 diced onion

2 cups of sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 large diced green pepper

salt and pepper

Italian Seasonings

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

In a large fry pan, cook your ground sausage with the onions, mushrooms and peppers.  Add in salt, pepper and any preferred  "Italian" seasonings at this time. Once cooked add in the diced garlic, add about a half of one can of your crushed tomatoes mix well. Set aside in a separate dish.

In same fry pan, cook your eggplant until soft but still firm. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In your 9 X 13 inch casserole dish, pour crushed tomatoes to cover the bottom. Do not use all of the can, just enough to cover the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of your sliced eggplant and cover the bottom with them. We are going to layer this dish. Pour your sausage mixture on next but reserve some for top layer later, so make sure to have about half left over. Add a layer of shredded cheese and repeat this process until you have filled your casserole dish. On the top layer add cheeses. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake in oven until all melted. This time limit can vary but I like to bake mine for at least 20 minutes, and then turn off my oven and leave an additional 10 minutes. I like to see some color on the top layer of cheese.  

Note: If you find you'll have some left over, don't worry you can always use the next day for spaghetti or Lasagna

Enjoy!!