This is a great comfort food dish that can be prepared and ready to serve in under an hour, in one pot on the stovetop. It’s naturally low carb and low fat, too. There’s a bit of spicyness from the Rotel tomatoes, diced chiles, onion and garlic, but it’s all nicely balanced and in no way overwhelming.
Doug’s Turkey & Eggplant Casserole
3/4 to 1 lb. ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
1 med-lg. eggplant
2 10 oz. cans Rotel Milder Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, undrained
1/4 C. dried chopped or minced onion
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 T. tomato paste
fresh ground black pepper
1/4 C. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 C. kosher salt
4 cups cool tap water
Prepare eggplant by peeling and slicing into 1/2″ thick slices. Chop slices into 1/2″ cubes. To prevent bitterness, soak cubes 15-20 minutes in a brine made up of 4 cups cool tap water into which 1/4 cup of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt has been dissolved.
Brown ground meat in a large pot, seasoning with fresh ground black pepper. Once meat is browned, drain if necessary. Drain eggplant in collander and rinse with cool tap water. Add tomatoes with chiles, onion and eggplant to pot. Bring to just boiling, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until eggplant starts to turn translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste, and continue to stir. When all pieces of eggplant are cooked, add bread crumbs to further thicken mixture.
Yield: About 6 cups.