Eggplant Explosion

By: Melody from The Very Last Bite

If you're looking for quick and easy dinner recipes than I think you're going to love this dish. Explore the tasty world of eggplant with this easy to make Eggplant Explosion. You'll completely forget there aren't any noodles in this delicious dish.

Cooking Time1 hr

Cooking MethodCasserole

Ingredients

1 whole eggplant
1 bunch of fresh basil leaves
1 cup ground turkey
1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 jar (24-ounce) regular tomato Sauce, any flavor
2 cups grated Mozzarella
2 cups grated Monterrey Jack
cayenne pepper to taste
cumin to taste
dried oregano to taste
seasoning salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the eggplant into slices about 1/3 to ½ an inch thick. Lay them flat and apply salt to both sides. Let the eggplant “weep” for about an hour.
While the eggplant sweats it out, chiffonade a little fresh basil. This is just a fancy way of saying cut it into thin strips. Roll up a few slices and give them a nice chop.
Wash and slice up your mushrooms. This ingredient can most certainly be omitted if you are not a mushroom person.
Once the eggplant has started to “sweat” or “weep”, pat each piece dry with a paper towel and layer them in a large casserole dish.
Cover each slice with a pinch of basil, then add a few pieces of ground turkey on top. Next, add a few slices of mushrooms (or not, it’s your call).
Then pour a little red sauce over this beautiful little spread. Add a light sprinkling of cumin, seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, and oregano.
After giving your dish a kick of flavor, apply a generous amount of cheese. Repeat this process until you have used up the rest of your ingredients.
Bake (your oven should be hot now) for at least an hour. Remove once the cheese is slightly browned.