Eggplant Casserole with Ground Beef
This delicious keto eggplant casserole with ground beef is an absolutely easy recipe to make from scratch; Low-carb, crispy crust & moist!
Ingredients
- 1 lb of extra lean ground beef
- 1 globe eggplant peeled and poked
- 1 medium onion coarsely grated
- 28 oz of canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tbsp. of avocado oil.
- 1 tbsp. of Italian herb mix
- 1 tbsp. of paprika
- ½ tsp. of salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp. of black pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup of water.
- Garnish. I used some chopped green onions and parsley.
Instructions
- Prepare the eggplant. Peel the eggplant all around and then poke it all over with a knife and place it into a deep saucepan with water. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat to a minimum, cover it, and let it steam for 30 minutes or till easily poke through with a knife but still holds its shape. The eggplant will finish cooking in the oven.
- Saute the veggies and ground beef. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil to it. Then saute the onion and garlic till soften and start to brown. Then add to it the ground beef and saute till most liquid is absorbed and starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Season it with salt and black pepper.
- Add tomato and season. At this point, add the diced tomatoes and paprika. Stir around and let them cook for about 10 minutes or till a thick sauce is created with no excess water. Season it with Italian herb mix.
- Slice the eggplant. Take the steamed eggplant out of the pot and let it cool down to the touch. Then gently squeeze as much as water you can out of the steamed eggplant and dry it out with paper towels. This way dryer eggplant will turn out crispy. Then, take a sharp knife and slice it into ring shapes, about 1/2 inches. No worries if the eggplant starts to break a little while slicing it.
- Layer and bake. Drizzle oil over a baking dish ( I used a cast iron skillet). Then, layer the eggplant rings. Season the eggplant with salt and black pepper. Then layer over them the ground beef sauce, followed by shredded cheese. Then bake it at 375 °F uncovered for 30 minutes or till golden brown on top and crispy bottom.
- Garnish it and serve. Garnish the dish with some chopped green onion and parsley. Then serve it hot and enjoy!
Notes
Tips
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- Use globe eggplant. It works best for this keto eggplant casserole with ground beef since they are big and meaty. But any other eggplant works fine too.
- Use less salt. Season everything as you go with salt and pepper. But use less salt than usual since cheese has lots of salt.
- Make a double batch. Prepare ingredients beforehand and make a double batch for later use.
- Do not overbake the dish. If you use extra-lean ground beef, ensure not to overbake the dish just enough for a crispy result.
- Drain the excess liquid. To make the eggplant slices crispy, make sure to squeeze the excess liquid off the steamed eggplant and dry it out with paper towels. Then slice it into rings.
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- Substitute ground beef. Ground turkey or ground chicken are great options. Or skip it entirely and serve this casserole as a side dish.
- Use other veggies. Try this recipe with zucchini or mushroom instead of eggplant.
- Add more veggies. Throw in some cauliflower or broccoli rice, shredded cabbage, or any other vegetables you like.
- Replace onion. Leeks, chives, or shallot are other options. Onion and garlic powder work fine too.
- Replace cheddar cheese. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, or other cheese of your choice.
- Pan-fry the eggplant. Alternatively, you could pan-fry each slice of eggplant for this keto eggplant casserole with the ground beef recipe. Peel and cut it into 1/2-inch ring shapes and pan-fry them in batches. However, steaming eggplant is less time-consuming. Ground beef and cheese will make up for it, and the dish will taste delicious no matter what.
- Make it a complete dish. Add a layer of tortillas or cooked pasta to make this casserole a complete dish.
- Add spices and herbs. Add your favorite spices and herbs. This is an easy way to boost the dish's flavor without adding more calories. Spices: cumin, ginger, cayenne pepper, or turmeric. Herbs: cilantro, chives, oregano, mint, dill, parsley, basil, or rosemary.
- Make it vegan. Substitute ground beef with cooked legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas, or soaked chopped nuts. Substitute cheddar cheese with nut cheese: cashew cheese, almond cheese, or other vegan dairy-free cheese.
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- 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
- Grater.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 33gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 662mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!