Eggplant & Italian Sausage Casserole

I mentioned in a previous post about the Harvest Box I received from my local Farmer's Market. In this past week's box I got three eggplant. Now I am going to admit that I had never really given eggplant a chance and I was hesitant to do something with it even now. But I decided I was going to be brave and try it. I surprised myself and four of my five family members with this dish. We all actually like it and it has already been requested that I make it again. (My 10 year old is the one who didn't like it and to be honest, he didn't even try it, he did however enjoy the sausage and sauce!) My 13 year old enjoyed just the fried eggplant and told me to make some more!

This recipe was super easy to make! (I found this recipe in the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen...here is the blog I found it at.)

Eggplant & Italian Sausage Casserole

1 1/2 pounds of ground Italian sausage

1 large eggplant (or two small ones work as well)

4 cups mozzarella cheese (I also added in some Parmesan cheese for a little extra flavor)

8 cups spaghetti sauce (as you can see I make my own but store bought works just as good)

1 cup flour

oil for frying

salt

1 cup milk

Peel and slice the eggplant in rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Sweat your eggplant (sweating helps to pull the bitterness out of it, it is mostly in large eggplants but some smaller ones can be bitter as well. If nothing else you are seasoning the eggplant. How do you sweat an eggplant? Place slices on a kitchen towel or on paper towels in a single layer. Moderately salt each slice. When the eggplant sweats (about 10 minutes) flip each slice over and repeat the process.)
After the sweating is complete heat up about 1/2 cup of oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip each slice in milk and then flour and fry until slightly brown.

(I do not know why this picture turned and won't turn back, so sorry, it wants to be posted in this direction and so I'm leaving it!)

Drain on a paper towel. In a separate skillet brown and drain the sausage. Add the spaghetti sauce to the sausage.
Assembling the casserole: Spray a good size casserole dish and spread about 1/4 cup sauce on the bottom. Place a layer of fried eggplant on the sauce.
Next spread part of the sausage mixture on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the sausage. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used ending with the cheese on top.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until it bubbles.