Eggplant "Pizza"

This was thrown together quickly tonight. I didn't know what to make for dinner but we had eggplant, canned tomatos, and ground beef, so I put them together to make Eggplant Pizza/Casserole.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 1 pound of ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 can of strained tomatoes or tomato sauce (I used a 26 ounce container and it was very "saucey" which I like, but 14 ounces would also work.)
• half a red onion
• 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese and 4 ounces parmesan
• dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and a squirt of sriracha

Method

Slice the eggplant into thin rounds. Place in a collander and sprinkle salt all over them. Let them sit over the sink for about 20 minutes while you prep your other ingredients. This is to get the water to the surface of the eggplant so they don't become soggy when you cook.

Brown the ground beef and drain most of the fat. Season the beef with salt and pepper.

Heat a pan with some butter or oil of your choice, and saute the onion for a few minutes until soft. Pour in the tomato sauce, sprinkle in your seasonings of choice including salt, and let simmer a few minutes.

Rinse off your eggplant and squeeze out the water with your hands. Take the eggplant and line them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish.

When the sauce is bubbling, add your ground meat to it and mix well. Pour the tomato and beef mixture over the eggplant in the baking dish.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top, bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serve using a spatula to scoop up the eggplant.

Yum!