Southern Eggplant Casserole Recipe
Easy Soup and Cheese Style Casserole Featuring Eggplants
Aug 9, 2009
Many Southerners grow eggplant. The most common type in the southeastern United States are the large purple (almost black colored in some cases) teardrop shaped variety or sometimes the longer type shaped like zucchini. The size for a purple eggplant is generally in the range of a large tomato or medium squash, and the purple eggplants are cooked much as summer squash. This means that eggplants may be fried and eaten, baked, grilled, or used as the base in a casserole.
Southern Eggplant Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 baseball or larger sized eggplant (young with thin skin - older ones are tough)
- 2 TBS olive oil and flour for pre-frying
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cans (10 ¾ oz) cream of mushroom soup
- ½ stick butter or margarine
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Cut the eggplant in round slices around one half inch thick.
- Dredge the slices individually in flour and shake off excess. Dredge again and shake if the entire slice is not covered with flour.
- Heat olive oil to medium or medium high and quick fry eggplant on each side in a skillet. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil as each slice is completed.
- Slice onion into skillet and cook briefly to release flavors.
- Spray a 9 x 11 or similar sized casserole dish with non-stick spray or grease with shortening.
- Place fried eggplant slices on bottom of casserole dish.
- Place fried onions on top of eggplant slices.
- Pour soup on top of eggplant/onions and smooth evenly.
- Cut small pats of butter and dot on top of soup mixture.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees F or until the mixture is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole and put back in oven until melted (around 5 minutes).
Other Tasty Summer Vegetable (or fruit served as vegetable) Recipes:
Summer Squash with Potatoes - Staggering the cooking times means that potatoes and summer squash can be served together in one yummy baked dish. This one is a good recipe to get kids to try out squash.
Wilited Lettuce Salad - A Southern favorite, it's hard to beat lettuce quick cooked in bacon grease.
Southern Sliced Tomato Pie - Yes. A pie with tomatoes. Combine two favorites and top with cheese for a taste treat.
Chilled Black Bean Salad with Garden Peppers - This dish is good year round but especially nice when you can get fresh bell peppers.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake - Looking for something a little different? This is a very moist cake with lots of body. No one will guess they are eating vegetables as well as cake.
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