From the Kitchen: Rustic Italian Eggplant Bake

Tonight’s supper started with a walk through my garden.

Five long eggplants, a green pepper, and a yellow squash became this hearty Italian-inspired skillet layered with grass-fed ground beef, mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

Roasting the eggplant first made all the difference—it became very tender, and the perfect replacement for noodles.

This one is low carb, packed with vegetables, and absolutely delicious. Even better? It will reheat beautifully for lunch the next day!

Ingredients

* 5 long Asian eggplants

* Olive oil

* Salt & pepper

* 1 lb. organic grass-fed ground beef

* 1 green bell pepper, diced

* 1 small yellow squash, shredded

* 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (or 8 oz. fresh mushrooms)

* 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

* ½–¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

* ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Seasonings

* Garlic powder

* Italian seasoning

* Salt

* Black pepper

* About ¼ cup sugar (optional, to mellow the acidity of the tomato sauce)

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and arrange them skin-side down (cut-side up) in a large cast iron skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.

While the eggplant roasts, brown the ground beef with the diced green pepper. Season generously with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Stir in the shredded yellow squash and cook for another minute or two.

Add the mushrooms and tomato sauce. Season generously with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. If desired, stir in about ¼ cup sugar to mellow the acidity of the tomato sauce.

Allow the sauce to simmer until the eggplant is finished roasting.

Remove the skillet from the oven and spoon the meat mixture evenly over the roasted eggplant.

Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Return to the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.