New Orleans Eggplant Casserole

Name: New Orleans Eggplant Casserole
Prep time: 4 h 30 min
Cook time: 4 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 118 milliliters fresh French bread crumbs; 227 grams bulk hot pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean®); 3 Tbsps butter, melted; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; 118 milliliters chopped celery; 3 larges eggplants; 59 milliliters chopped fennel bulb; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 59 milliliters chopped green bell pepper; 227 grams ground beef; 3 Tbsps olive oil; 59 milliliters chopped onion; 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste; 473 milliliters water; 237 milliliters uncooked white rice

New Orleans Eggplant Casserole might be a good recipe to expand your main course recipe box. This recipe serves 6. One portion of this dish contains about 18g of protein, 30g of fat, and a total of 528 calories. This recipe covers 18% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 4 hours and 30 minutes. It is perfect for Autumn. A mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, fennel bulb, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so flavorful.

Instructions

Slice the eggplants 3/4 inch thick, and sprinkle each side with salt. Allow slices to drain in colander set in the sink for 2 to 3 hours. Wipe off excess salt, but do not rinse slices.

Ingredients you will need

Eggplant

Salt

Equipment you will use

Colander

Lay the slices into a large skillet with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. Cover, and steam over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Water

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Frying Pan

Remove and cut the slices into 3/4 inch cubes.

Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Rice

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Sauce Pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

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Casserole Dish

Oven

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the eggplant cubes for about 10 minutes to slightly dry them, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 more minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Eggplant

Garlic

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl.

Ingredients you will need

Eggplant

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Bowl

Cook the fennel in skillet until tender, 5 to 8 minutes; transfer into bowl with eggplant. In the same skillet, brown the pork sausage and ground beef, breaking the meat up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Pork Sausage

Ground Beef

Eggplant

Fennel

Meat

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Bowl

Add meat to eggplant mixture.

Ingredients you will need

Eggplant

Meat

Drain excess fat from skillet; cook celery, onion, and green pepper until the celery has started to become tender and onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Green Pepper

Celery

Onion

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Transfer vegetables to bowl with eggplant and meat.

Ingredients you will need

Vegetable

Eggplant

Meat

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Stir cayenne pepper and hot sauce into the mixture, combining the eggplant and meat thoroughly; gently stir in the cooked rice. Check for seasoning, and add salt if necessary.

Ingredients you will need

Cayenne Pepper