Cajun Eggplant Casserole Recipes

RAGIN' CAJUN EGGPLANT AND SHRIMP SKILLET

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain., Preheat oven to 350°. In an ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and green pepper; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in tomatoes and eggplant. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings. Add shrimp and bread crumbs; saute 5 minutes longer, stirring well., Bake 30 minutes. Remove skillet from oven; top with cheese. Bake 5 minutes more.

EGGPLANT CASSEROLE WITH RED PEPPER PESTO AND CAJUN BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• For the casserole: Heat a charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Brush the eggplant with canola oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Combine the peppers, pine nuts, garlic, and thyme in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly the cup olive oil and process until emulsified. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan and some salt and pepper and pulse a few times to incorporate.
• Spoon about 1/2 cup of the pesto over the bottom of a baking dish. Line the dish with the some eggplant slices and then the mozzarella slices. Season with salt and pepper and scatter the oregano leaves over the top. Dollop another 1/2 cup or so of the pesto over, then more eggplant, a bit more pesto and finally the remaining Parmesan. Put on the grill, cover and bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.
• For the breadcrumbs: Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the paprika and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly golden brown. Add the parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
• While the casserole cooks, make the breadcrumbs: Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over hot coals or over medium heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs (about 2 cups) and the spice rub and toast, stirring, until the crumbs are golden brown and crisp. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and scatter over the casserole. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

NEW ORLEANS EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Slice the eggplants 3/4 inch thick, and sprinkle each side with salt. Allow slices to drain in colander set in the sink for 2 to 3 hours. Wipe off excess salt, but do not rinse slices. Lay the slices into a large skillet with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. Cover, and steam over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and cut the slices into 3/4 inch cubes.
• Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the eggplant cubes for about 10 minutes to slightly dry them, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl.
• Cook the fennel in skillet until tender, 5 to 8 minutes; transfer into bowl with eggplant. In the same skillet, brown the pork sausage and ground beef, breaking the meat up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Add meat to eggplant mixture. Drain excess fat from skillet; cook celery, onion, and green pepper until the celery has started to become tender and onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl with eggplant and meat.
• Stir cayenne pepper and hot sauce into the mixture, combining the eggplant and meat thoroughly; gently stir in the cooked rice. Check for seasoning, and add salt if necessary. Place the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the casserole with crumbs, and drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot, about 40 minutes.

CREOLE EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Peel, clean, devein and rinse shrimp. Depending on the size of the shrimp, they can be chopped into a smaller size if desired. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a bowl. Add a generous sprinkle of creole seasoning, mix well and set aside.
• Peel the eggplant and cut into small cubes about 1/2 inch square; place in a bowl and mix in a little (not much) kosher salt. Set aside.
• Chop the yellow onions, green onions and garlic. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them using the boiling water blanch method (see Hints and Tips). Drain the tomatoes if using canned. Measure the butter, creole seasoning and bread crumbs.
• Melt butter over medium heat in Dutch Oven.
• Sauté the yellow onions in the butter until starting to clear, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic and saute until the garlic is aromatic, probably about 2 minutes.
• Add green onions, salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of creole seasoning. Mix well and cook about 2 minutes.
• Crush the tomatoes by hand as you add them to the Dutch oven and mix well. Saute for about 5 minutes.
• Add the eggplant cubes a little at a time but don't add any of the water that has gathered in the bottom of the bowl. Mix the eggplant cubes and sauteed onions together very well.
• Lower the temperature to medium, cover the Dutch oven and simmer until the eggplant is starting to soften, about 15 minutes. The eggplant will give off a lot of water that will partially cook off.
• When soft and starting to reduce, smash down some of the eggplant with a wooden spoon.
• Add the shrimp and mix well and continue to cook, uncovered, for about 10 or 15 minutes or while the liquid evaporates.
• Remove from the heat and add the bread crumbs a little at a time and mix well. The eggplant should tighten up a little, but don't over do the bread crumbs. Taste for seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spread a thin layer of butter inside of an oven proof casserole or baking dish.
• Pour the eggplant mix into baking dish and spread out softly.
• Sprinkle a little bread crumbs on top and place about 6 small dots of butter on top
• Bake in 350 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until bubbly on edges and browned a little on top.

CAJUN EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Dice unpared eggplant in 11/2 in cubes. Cook eggplant and chopped onion in boiling water to cover for 20 min. or till tender. Drain and mix with all ingredients except grated cheddar and creole seasoning.
• 2. Place mixture into greased casserole and add grated cheddar and creole seasoning on top.
• 3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.