My family loves meatloaf and lasagna!
So I saw an episode of giada deLaurentis with this recipe for eggplant meatloaf Parmesan , and I made my own version that the kids went nuts for!
We eat everything Italian in my house, and I must say this meatloaf meets both my Italian cravings and American favorites! The only thing that is REALLY bothering me is that I seem to be losing some natural light. But I managed to pull this one off! It was really tasty and you will find yourself munching on leftovers for sure!
The bacon and onion smell is intoxicating!
My husband stole some and put it in a slice of bread.
Makes for a hearty meal!
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
2/3 cup jarred marinara sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 strips of bacon
Eggplant:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 ground black pepper
1/3 cup of marinara
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
First chop onion and bacon strips and place in a skillet and cook on medium until bacon is browned and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet, drain and set mixture aside. In a large bowl combine ground beef, Parmesan, marinara sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic, eggs, and cooked onion-bacon mixture. Mix well to combine. Dump mixture out onto a nonstick or lightly greased sheet pan and shape into a loaf. I shaped mine a bit flat, so that the eggplant can sit well. Place in oven and bake until cooked through for about 30 until Internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
While meatloaf is in oven, slice a medium eggplant into 4-6 slices about 1/2 inch in thickness. Season on both sides with salt, black pepper. Spay a skillet with a bit of cooking spray and cook eggplant on medium-high heat until a bit browned about 2-3 minutes per side. Spoon 1/3 cup of marinara over meatloaf and arrange eggplant slices on top of meatloaf. I was only able to fit four, so that’s what I went with. Spoon a bit more sauce on top of each slice of eggplant and top with mozzarella cheese. Place bake in oven to finish melting cheese about 5-7 minutes. Enjoy!
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