Eggplant au Gratin
Aubergines au Gratin (my translation Baked Eggplant Recipe with Cheese) is a simple and easy vegetable recipe full of flavor and natural goodness. It's a great dish to serve as a starter and can be served either hot or cold or with your favorite roasted meat. Try these tasty dishes too Eggplant Caponata Recipe and Ratatouille. Eggplants are a vegetable like artichokes, often overlooked. Learn How To Cook Artichokes, and try this delicious Artichoke Salad.
Jump to:
📸Ingredient Shot
📋Ingredients
- aubergines (eggplants) I like to use smaller sizes for roasted eggplant recipes like this one as they are not as watery.
- tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, most pair well with eggplant.
- onion and garlic, "the usual suspects".
- parsley, thyme, and basil, for delicious flavor.
- Grated cheese, such as Parmesan, or any hard cheese like cheddar.
🔢Instructions
After completing the prep of your vegetables.
Step 1
Heat a skillet to medium heat, add the oil, onion, and garlic. (do not brown)
Step 2
Add the tomatoes and mix well while cooking.
Step 3
Add the herbs and mix well. (Remove the sprig of thyme before placing the pan contents into baker.)
Step 4
Place eggplant in bottom of baker.
Step 5
Spread the tomato and onion mixture from the pan on top of eggplant.
Step 6
Sprinkle grated cheese on top, place in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Step 7
Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Dig in!
🥂How To Serve
- It can be served hot as a first course or as a side dish with your favorite roast meat or chicken dishes.
- It is also good served cold.
- Of course, you can simply serve it on its own with fresh crusty bread.
It's so delicious!
🍴Kitchen Tools
- sharpe knife for slicing vegetables
- collander for draining
- casserole dish
- serving utensil
❄️Storage
- Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- If well wrapped so no air can get in, this dish can be frozen for 2-3 months. Unthaw in fridge and warm in oven.
❔FAQ
There is no need to peel eggplant before baking as you will be missing so much nutrition and the dark green skin provides a good looking contrast to the flesh of the vegetable in the finished dish.
It is not necessary for any other reason except to draw some of the water out of the vegetable to allow it to cook without absorbing too much of the other fluid in the recipe like oil which will make it soggy.
✨More Great Recipes
But, this eggplant meal is not the only one to enjoy with just vegetables, try Vegetable Bake known in France as Tian Provencal, with zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, parmesan cheese, and French herbs. Delightful! Or Vegetable Tian (sound familiar) with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and fragrant thyme to mingle with all the veggies.
🥣How To Make This Great Eggplant Recipe
📖 Recipe
Aubergines Au Gratin or Eggplant Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergines eggplants
- 6 tomatoes
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs parsley
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig basil
- Salt and black pepper
- Grated cheese such as Parmesan or any hard cheese
Instructions
- Turn on the oven to 375°F/191°C/Gas 5 Moderate/Moderately Hot
- Wash aubergines and slice them length-ways.
- Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander (place a plate on the top of them with a weight on this. This will allow the excess water to run out)
- Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for a few minutes and then peel and chop them.
- Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pan and sweat the onions and tomatoes with the herbs for about 15 minutes.
- You can now either rub the tomatoes through a sieve or blend them in a processor.
- Season your tomato puree (now called tomato coulis) with salt and pepper to taste.
- Rinse the aubergine slices and dry them with paper towel or a clean tea towel.
- Saute the aubergine slices in olive oil until golden brown.
- Place them in individual dishes and pour the tomato coulis over the top.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese and place in the oven until golden brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Let your dish sit for 5 minutes, now it is ready to serve.
- It can be served hot as a first course or as an accompaniment with your favorite roast meat or chicken dishes.
- It is also good served cold.
Notes
- Use a slicing tool if you have one to cut all the vegetables for this recipe the same thickness, which will help the dish to bake evenly throughout.
Judith says
A perfect meal or side dish, this is so delicious and easy to make! Get your veggies divinely! 🍆🍅🧅🧀