Eggplant - Zucchini Bake: Hearty Meatless Meal

I have to share tonight's dinner - I had a bunch of vegetables from last week's CSA batch and I just wasn't sure what to do with them. Since my new bag of veggies is on its way today I figured that I had better use them up! So I got on Pinterest (of course) and found this awesome recipe for a Zucchini and Eggplant Bake that would work with my ingredients. I also liked that it had eggs and cheese (who wouldn't!) because it meant 1) my kids might try it and 2) it had a good dose of protein. It was super yummy and very hearty.

Find the recipe here. I did make some changes to use what I had on hand, and I think it is very forgiving on the combination of vegetables you can use. Use what you like!  I did:

2 small to medium eggplants
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 large orange bell pepper

I also substituted grated parmesan for the Pecorino-Romano cheese, and sprinkled cheddar instead of mozzarella on top. I also doubled the number of crackers for the topping, because my kids love crackers.

I don't have a ton of experience cooking with eggplant, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to prep and how delicious it was in the casserole. It gave the whole dish a very filling and almost meaty quality that definitely made it enough for a main course.

My toddlers were a little skeptical of this one, they did like the crumbly topping and picked around at the veggies, but hubby and I loved it.

So if you're looking for a meatless dinner or you have a combination of veggies in the fridge and you're not sure what to make, give this bake a try. It would work great for a potluck too. Let me know what you think!