I just got this recipe off of a website and tried it last night, I LOVE it! If you like eggplant Parmesan, you'll like this, and it's easier to prepare. It's simply called Cheesy Baked Eggplant. I think it is filling enough for a main dish (as long as you have crusty Italian bread to go with it!), but if your beau wants more protein, sausage would go well with this dish.
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 in. rounds
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic powder (your choice how much)
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 (10 oz.) package fresh spinach leaves
1/2 C. ricotta cheese (I didn't actually put this in because I don't like ricotta)
3/4 C. shredded mozz. cheese
3/4 C. grated parm. cheese
3/4 C. tomato pasta sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
(a lot of these ingredients I just added what I thought looked good, but it helps when you need to buy them at the store!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder on top. Bake 10 min.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over med. heat. Add onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant and spinach has wilted. In a med. bowl combine 1/2 C. of each of the cheeses.
3.Place the eggplant slices in a large baking dish. Top with spinach mixture. Put cheese mixture on top, then spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
4. Bake for about 30 min. and enjoy!
