Layered with ground beef, marinara, breaded eggplant, and melty Italian cheese, this eggplant casserole has all the comforting flavor of eggplant parmesan with less work and more protein. An easy, make-ahead weeknight dinner that comes together without the frying or fuss!

Close-up of a white baking dish with a spoon and eggplant slices topped with cheese, tomato sauce, and fresh basil. Baking dish is surrounded by a dish towel, serving spoon, and a small bowl of fresh basil.

5 star review

“This casserole was fantastic, and my family loved it. I used eggplants fresh from the Farmers’ Market. It hit all the flavor notes of lasagna, but with less work and more nutrition.”

– Lora
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Cheesy Eggplant Parmesan Casserole for Dinner Tonight!

This eggplant casserole came out of a love for eggplant parmesan and a refusal to spend an hour standing over a frying pan on a weeknight. My goal was to keep all the flavor of the original (crispy breaded eggplant, hearty marinara, melty cheese) without the heavy oil or fuss of frying every slice. Adding ground beef to the marinara was the move that turned a side-dish-style bake into a real, filling weeknight dinner, and the result is a casserole that satisfies the eggplant parm craving while landing more squarely in the easy weeknight category.

A couple of things I learned in testing. First, salting the eggplant for 15 minutes is non-negotiable. That step pulls out the bitter excess moisture that otherwise turns the casserole watery and mutes the flavor of everything else in the dish. I tested with both pre-cooked and raw breaded eggplant, and the raw version baked at 375°F under foil came out tender, evenly cooked, and so much easier than the fry-then-bake approach. And slicing the eggplant rounds at a consistent quarter-inch thickness and pressing firmly to release water before breading makes a big difference! Thicker slices stay crunchy on the inside, and uneven slicing means some bites cook through while others stay raw.

Serve this eggplant casserole with a simple green salad with balsamic dressing and garlic bread, and let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing so the layers hold together on the plate. Leftovers reheat beautifully in a covered dish for up to 3 days, and the whole casserole freezes unbaked for up to 3 months for an easy future dinner. And for another hearty veggie-packed casserole with ground beef, my zucchini ground beef casserole is the next stop!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Eggplant Casserole

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Slicing eggplant.
1. Slice the eggplant.
White plates with a yellow liquid, breadcrumbs, and eggplant slices covered in breadcrumbs. Someone is dipping eggplant slices in the yellow liquid.
2. Bread the eggplant slices.
A skillet with a red meat sauce, a plate with breaded eggplant slices, and a white baking dish with red meat sauce and eggplant slices. Someone is placing eggplant slices into the baking dish.
3. Evenly layer meat sauce and eggplant slices.
Close-up of a white baking dish with eggplant slices covered in a red meat sauce.
4. Top final layer with meat sauce.
Sprinkling shredded cheese onto a casserole with red meat sauce in a white baking dish.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.
Someone holding a white baking dish with eggplant slices covered in a red sauce and topped with shredded cheese.
6. Cover with foil.
Someone holding a white baking dish with eggplant slices covered in a red sauce and topped with melted cheese.
7. Bake until golden and bubbling.

Testing Tips for Italian Eggplant Casserole

  • Use a sturdy salt like kosher or coarse sea salt for the 15-minute draw step. Fine table salt absorbs into the eggplant too quickly and leaves the slices too salty even after rinsing, while kosher salt sits on the surface and pulls moisture without overseasoning.
  • Press the eggplant slices firmly between two layers of paper towels after the salt sits. The amount of water that comes out is genuinely surprising the first time you do it, and skipping this step is the difference between a sliceable casserole and a soupy one!
  • Bread the eggplant in two zones rather than dipping each slice individually. Set up one plate of egg-milk wash and one plate of seasoned panko, and work in a wet-hand-dry-hand assembly line. It’s faster, less messy, and keeps the breading from clumping on your fingers.
  • Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes after baking before slicing. The layers need time to settle so they hold together on the plate. Cutting straight from the oven leaves you with a beautiful tasting puddle instead of clean slices.
Close-up of a white baking dish with eggplant slices topped with cheese, tomato sauce, and fresh basil. Baking dish is surrounded by a dish towel, serving spoons, and a small bowl of fresh basil.
Close-up of a white baking dish with a spoon and eggplant slices topped with cheese, tomato sauce, and fresh basil. Baking dish is surrounded by a dish towel, serving spoon, and a small bowl of fresh basil.
5 stars (6 ratings)

Eggplant Casserole (with Ground Beef)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Eggplant casserole layered with seasoned ground beef, marinara, and melty Italian cheese. A hearty, make-ahead weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
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Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds eggplant (about 2 medium), sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
  • 1 ¼ pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for salting the eggplant
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon no salt-added Italian seasoning
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons low fat milk
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • ¾ cup Italian cheese blend
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Equipment

Instructions 

Prepare the Eggplant

  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Add the sliced eggplant to a large strainer. Sprinkle each slice evenly with salt on both sides and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Make the Meat Sauce

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, then add the ground beef, breaking apart into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Turn off the heat and add the marinara sauce, stirring to combine.

Bread the Eggplant

  • Gently press the eggplant to squeeze out any excess water. Optional: Quickly rinse to remove excess salt. Blot each slice with a paper towel to dry.
  • On a large plate or baking dish, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon salt until well combined.
  • On a separate large plate or baking dish, whisk together the egg and milk until well combined.
  • Dip each eggplant slice quickly into the milk-egg mixture, then coat each side evenly with the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until each slice is breaded.

Assemble the Casserole

  • Coat a 9×13 ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Add ⅓ of the beef-marinara sauce to the bottom, spreading into an even layer.
  • Shingle about half of the eggplant slices into an even layer on top. Repeat the layers, adding ⅓ sauce, the remaining half of the eggplant slices, and ending with the remaining ⅓ sauce.
  • Sprinkle the top with an even layer of the Italian cheese blend and parmesan cheese.
  • Cover tightly with foil and cook for 50 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender. Uncover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • For Gluten Free: Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 241kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 721mg, Potassium: 879mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 492IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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