Fran's Eggplant Casserole

Before I retired I worked in an all female accounting office. We all loved to cook and some loved to bake so we had potluck office meals fairly often. This dish started out as a simple casserole of my boss, Fran. As the recipe got passed around, almost everyone added something to it or made a variation of it. So it ended up being a potluck dish! I love it and every time if cook it, the house smells wonderful!

Fran's Eggplant Casserole

1 whole eggplant, peeled and sliced thin
3 zucchini, scrubbed and sliced
3 yellow squash, scrubbed and sliced
6-8 ounces sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh
1 bell pepper, chopped (use any color you want)
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
Parmesan cheese (non-vegan), optional OR
nutritional yeast (vegan), optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray cookie sheet with Pam, spread eggplant slices, and spray slices with Pam. Bake for 15 minutes to help tenderize the eggplant.

Prepare the other vegetables and place in oven-proof casserole dish. When the eggplant is ready, place in casserole dish and mix with the other vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of red pepper. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, if using. Cover and bake at 350F for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender.

Notes: 1. You can use flavored diced tomatoes and any other seasonings you wish to vary the dish. For example, use basil, oregano tomatoes and Italian seasoning (my favorite), or chili powder and Rotele tomatoes for Mexican, etc. Greek would be good too!
2. This is easy to make in the crockpot. Place all ingredients in the crockpot, stir, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Sometimes you want something Italian and a few spoons of spaghetti sauce for dinner just won't cut it. I give to you...Baked Eggplant Parmesan! So yummy delicious it will put an end to all your Italian cravings!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

1 medium to large eggplant, pared and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cups tomato-herb sauce (I used Hunt's Mushroom pasta sauce)
3/4 cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, until tender. (Note: If you think eggplant has a bitter taste, place them in a colander, salt well and let them sit for about 15 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then bake as above.)

Spray an 8 inch baking dish with Pam. Spread about 1/4 of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place eggplant slices, then bread crumbs, then cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, until cooked through and bubbling.

Increase oven temperature to 400F. Uncover dish, sprinkle a little more cheese then the Parmesan cheese. Baked, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until the top is nicely golden brown and crisp.