Slow Cooker Beef & Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients

• Eggplant

  Raw

  2 cup, cubes or 164g

• Salt

  Table

  2 tsp or 12g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Ground beef

  80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw

  32 oz or 907g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Worcestershire sauce

  2 tsp or 11g

• Mustard

  Prepared, yellow

  2 tsp or 1 packet or 10g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  4 cup or 960g

• Tomato sauce

  No salt added

  2 cup or 490g

• Mozzarella cheese

  Part skim milk

  2 cup, shredded or 224g

• Parsley

  Spices, dried

  2 tbsp or 3g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  1 tsp, leaves or 1g

Directions

1. Toss the eggplant cubes with about half of the salt in a colander and let stand 30 minutes to draw out moisture; rinse and pat very dry.
2. Drizzle the eggplant with the olive oil and toss to coat evenly.
3. In a bowl, combine ground beef with the remaining salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard until evenly mixed.
4. Press the beef mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a slow cooker to form a thin layer.
5. Layer the oiled eggplant over the beef. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, spreading evenly.
6. Cover and cook on Low 3 to 4 hours (or on High 2 to 3 hours) until the eggplant is tender and the beef is cooked through.
7. Sprinkle the mozzarella, parsley, and oregano over the top. Cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Let stand 5 minutes, then spoon into bowls and serve hot.