Cheesy Eggplant Casserole with Ground Turkey (2024)

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Comfort food made healthy, this cheesy eggplant casserole layers eggplant with protein-rich turkey and mozzarella. The best part? It bakes up in 30 minutes!

As I was planning for recipes this fall, I realized I didn’t havethat many casserole recipes on my site. Time to change that! I love making casseroles for a hearty, family sized meal. We love leftovers so I often make a casserole like this for just the two of us and we enjoy leftovers for a couple of nights. It’s the best.

This is also the perfect recipe to bring to new parents or friends and family that are in need of a meal. It feels like baby girl is going to make her arrival any day now and I know I’d happily accept this meal when I’m running on empty!

You can bring just this casserole or whip up a simple side salad to pair with it for a complete meal.

What Does Eggplant Taste Like?

If you’ve never tried eggplant before, don’t be scared! You will love eggplant in no time. It has a really mild flavor and when cooked properly, takes on the surrounding flavors of the dish. You can leave the skin on or peel it if you prefer. I find that the skin gets really soft when eggplant is baked in a casserole like this so I never take the time to peel it.

Eggplant is a super simple vegetable to work with. One thing to note with eggplant is that it holds a lot of water. In order to make sure the casserole doesn’t end up soupy or extra watery, you simply sprinkle salt on the eggplant slices ahead of time to pull the water from it.

Ingredients in Eggplant Casserole

• eggplant – when picking an eggplant, make sure yours is firm but not hard. It should be smooth and shiny, not dull which means its turning bitter and it should be a rich, dark purple color with even coloring and no streaking. Eggplants are full of moisture so after slicing be sure to sprinkle with salt and pat dry with a paper towel.
• turkey – a lean protein option, but ground beef will work too. You can also use tofu or mashed chickpeas for a vegetarian option.
• marinara sauce – I look for marinara sauce with no sugar added. Three brands I like are Muir Glen, Rao’s Homemade and Primal Kitchen.
• cheese – we’re using shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• spices– a little salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.

How to Make this Eggplant Casserole

Pre-cook eggplant – Start by cutting your eggplant into slices. Cut the eggplant widthwise (into rounds) about 1/4-1/3 inch thick. Brush, rub or spray a little olive oil on each side of the eggplant slices and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking stone. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Placein oven for 10-15 minutes, or until eggplant is hot and starting to cook down. Remove from oven.

Make sauce – To make your sauce, sauté your garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat and then add the ground turkey along with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Break up the turkey as it cooks. When the turkey is no longer pink, add the tomato sauce to the pan and stir to combine.

Build casserole – It’s time to build your casserole! Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Spread a little turkey sauce into the bottom of the pan and add a layer of eggplant slices. Top with half the turkey sauce mixture, add another layer of eggplant and top with the remaining turkey sauce. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese.

Bake – Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. The foil keeps the cheese from getting too browned! Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Serve – Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

How to Serve

This casserole is hearty and filling on its own, but here are some serving suggestions:

• Serve alongside my Garlicky Kale Salad or Zoodle Salad w/ Italian Dressing to amp up the veggies.
• Bake a loaf of Sourdough Bread.
• Sautéed Beet Greens with Roasted Beets would also be a delicious way to amp up the veggies.

More Casserole Recipes You Might Enjoy!

• Confetti Chicken Casserole
• Mexican Quinoa Casserole
• Spaghetti Squash Tuna Noodle Casserole Boats
• Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
• Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Pasta Recipes to Try

• Spaghetti Squash Baked Feta Pasta
• One-Skillet Enchilada Pasta
• Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Walnut Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti Squash Noodles
• Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Tahini Sauce
• Lightened-Up Penne alla Vodka
• Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Be sure to check out the full collection of dinner recipes and ground turkey recipes on EBF!