Twice baked eggplant tuna casserole is a delicious comfort food that is surprisingly healthy. It is an easy and forgiving recipe too. If you are trying to wean yourself away from yummy (aka bready, meaty, cheesy) tomato dishes, this can help. Yes, it has some parmesan cheese but is delicious without the addition of mozzarella, ricotta, flour and/or egg that you often find in similar dishes. When you scan the ingredients and see eggplant and tuna – don’t flee! The first time I had a variation of this dish, I was very glad I wasn’t told those two ingredients were in it. Try it! It’s easy to make, delicious, and you may surprise yourself too.
Ingredients Needed To Make Eggplant Tuna Casserole
1 large EGGPLANT
1 tsp SALT
2 cups ONION, diced
7+ medium/large GARLIC CLOVES, pressed (go wild, use a whole bulb!)
OIL for veggie baking AND casserole dish (around 2 1/2 Tbsp)
9 oz CANNED TUNA in water, drained
14.5 oz can DICED TOMATOES, half drained
8 oz can TOMATO SAUCE
1 Tbsp ITALIAN SEASONING
1 Tbsp ROASTED GARLIC POWDER (regular garlic powder works too)
1 tsp MINCED ONION SEASONING
1 tsp CARAWAY SEEDS
½ C grated PARMESAN CHEESE, divided
Optional Seasoning: In the video, we also used 1 tsp OLDE THOMPSON EVERYTHING ITALIAN (it’s pizza seasoning – adds a bit of heat too!)
In the video we used a 2 qt glass pyrex casserole dish, measuring 7 1/2 x 12. Check out current prices for a BAKING DISH on Amazon.
How To Make Twice Baked Eggplant Casserole
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch discs. Quarter the bigger discs. Sprinkle/distribute salt and let sit for 10 minutes (to draw out some moisture). While your eggplant sweats, you can dice the onion. Peel and press the garlic. Put any extra small cloves aside so they don’t burn during the roasting process. [If you’ve never had roasted garlic before, and the amount we’re suggesting sounds very scary, know this – roasted garlic has a much more mellow flavor compared to eating it raw or sautéed. You can have roasted garlic without having ‘garlic breath’ for several hours.]
Oil baking sheet and casserole dish.
Pat eggplant dry.
If your eggplant is extra large or your baking pan is small – you will need to roast your veggies in two parts (or use two oiled baking sheets). Place your eggplant and garlic in single layer on the oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle the onion onto pan – letting the onion cover any remaining surface area on the pan.
Cook your veggies for just 15-20 minutes. The onion tips will just begin to brown. In the finished casserole, the onions still have some texture – something to bite into*.
While your veggies cook, mix together your sauce of tuna, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Set aside.
Reduce your oven temperature to 350 F, when you take your veggies out.
Pick out garlic. Dice your garlic, in order to distribute the yummy flavor thorough out finished dish. Mix the diced garlic into your sauce.
In your oiled casserole dish, layer one-half of your eggplant, then one-half of your sauce** and sprinkle with about 1/3 of your Parmesan. Repeat the layers, topping with remaining 2/3 Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, in 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Most of the liquid will be gone. Broil/brown the cheese -watch carefully after 1 minute.
Let it cool and then enjoy!
If you enjoy this twice based eggplant casserole recipe, then check out other favorite eggplant recipes!
Hints To Make Your Casserole Just Right
Some people (Hi Mom!) would rather have their onions cooked more, so they don’t taste undone. If you’re in that group, simply cook your veggies till your onions are softer.
It’s okay if your sauce has a bit of liquid to it – simply mix up the sauce before you start layering.
How To Freeze Your Twice Baked Eggplant Casserole
Cover unbaked casserole with freezer paper and date it. Freeze it for up to one month.
To bake frozen casserole, place in 375 degree F oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Let it set 10 minutes before serving to reabsorb some moisture.
If you’re not into eggplant, try a classic Tuna Casserole Recipe, but one that’s not wet!
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