Mexican Eggplant Cassarole Recipes

CHEESY AUBERGINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Spray baking sheet with oil and place eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Spray the tops of the eggplant with oil. Bake until soft when pressed about 15-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile , in a small pot, combine tomato sauce, chiles, onions, cumin, garlic powder and olives. Bring to a simmer, then simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
• Turn oven down to 350 when eggplant is done.
• Arrange half the eggplant slices in a single layer over the bottom of a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Spoon half the sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese.
• Bake at 350 until heated through and bubbly (about 30 minutes).
• Top with sour cream if desired.

MEXICAN FIESTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• 2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the onions and zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning, 2/3 cup water, and the corn. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes, then stir in the black beans.
• 3. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa in the bottom of the baking dish. Lay 4 tortillas over the salsa, and spoon half of the meat mixture on top. Cover with 3/4 cup of the salsa and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Top with 4 more tortillas and the remaining 3/4 cup salsa. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the top.
• 4. Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Slice and serve, topped with scallions and sour cream.

BERENJENA A LA VERACRUZANA - MEXICAN EGGPLANT IN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the peel from the eggplant and cut into approximate 1/2 to 3/4 inch strips. Add them a handful at a time to a colander, salting them well between layers, until all of them are in the colander. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow them to "sweat" their bitterness out and lose liquid.
• While the eggplant is in the colander, make the sauce. In a large, heavy pot (I use my Le Creuset), heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until just translucent. Add the garlic and chiles, stir well, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for an additional 7-10 minutes until onion is soft.
• Add the tomatoes and stir well. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes and the liquids are reduced by about half.
• Rinse the salted eggplant and drain well.
• Add all the remaining ingredients (including eggplant) to the pot, stir well, and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until eggplant is well-cooked and the sauce is the consistency that you like (you may want to remove the cover for the last 5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit). Remove bay leaves.
• Serve with polenta rounds or squares (or some other favorite method of prepared polenta), drizzled with a little crema. Enjoy!