Recipe Friday's: Escalloped Eggplant

Loki: I always like finding new recipe's. I like trying new food. My cooking skills have dramatically improved from when I first starting cooking for myself. I could make pancakes and that was it. Anyway, this is not a hard dish to make...it is easy. I was a little nervous at first because I didn't grow up eating eggplant. I didn't even know what an eggplant really was. Anyway, I ventured out and bought the purple wonder. I can just say that I love this dish. It gives the eggplant a really good flavor. (Eggplant by itself can be a little bitter). I love eating this and without the breadcrumbs on top it is south beach/Atkin's friendly. I made the recipe as called for... and I believe this is a Rachel Ray recipe. You will need the following ingrediants:

1 medium eggplant
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large onion sliced
1 pound sliced tomotoes (1 large or 2 small)
1/2 cup melted butter, divided
salt, basil (chopped or tried) and pepper
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese
2 tbl parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely dried bread crumbs
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peel the eggplant and cut into approximately 1/2 inch slices. Cover the bottom of a medium-sized casserole dish with the eggplant slices.
Place mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, on top. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle with salt, basil, and pepper. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and arrange mozzarela slices ( I just sprinkle shredded mozzarella) and parmesan over top of baked veg. Mix garlic powder into bread crumbs, then stir in remaining butter. Sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake and additional 10 minutes uncovered.

Take out of oven and enjoy! I made this tonight with some grilled chicken. Yummy!

If I am in a hurry and I want to make this dish...I will sautee all these ingredients together. I chop up the eggplant first. It only takes a few minutes. Just the mixture of mushroom, onion, tomatoes, and eggplant are good. Big T recommends chopping up the grilled chicken and combining the whole thing. Yummy--Enjoy!