Eggplant Casserole with Ground Beef

Ingredients

• 800 g eggplants (4 eggplants)
• Salt
• 1 onion
• 800 g canned tomatoes (drained weight)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 0.5 bunch Parsley
• 6 sage leaves
• 6 tbsp Olive oil
• 200 g Ground beef
• 2 tsp spelt whole‑grain flour
• 125 ml milk (3.5% fat)
• 2 tbsp whole‑grain breadcrumbs
• 20 g butter
• black pepper (ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the eggplants, pat dry and trim the stems. Halve them lengthwise. Score the flesh crosswise with a knife leaving a 0.5 cm border, salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash, shake dry, and finely chop parsley and sage.

2. 2.

   Briefly boil the eggplants in salted water, remove and let cool slightly. Separate the flesh, leaving a small rim. Place the halves in a greased baking dish.

3. 3.

   Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the ground beef and brown it crumbly, then dust with flour, stir in milk, and reduce slightly. Add the eggplant flesh, season with salt, pepper, and herbs, simmer for a few minutes while stirring, then remove from heat. Spoon the meat filling into the eggplants, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, and dot with butter pieces. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (or 160 °C fan‑forced) for about 30 minutes.

4. 4.

   Sauté the garlic in the remaining oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes with juice, mash with a potato masher, season with salt and pepper, and reduce slightly. Spread the sauce over the eggplants ten minutes before the end of baking.