Baked Meat Casserole with Eggplants

A very tasty casserole with a delicious sauce. Soft baked vegetables together with meat under a cap of tender cheese sauce...! In the recipe, I used eggplants, if you are not very fond of them, you can replace them with zucchinis.

Ground Meat

1.1 lb (beef-pork)

Onion

1 pc

Eggplant

3 pcs

Potatoes

6 pcs

Tomatoes

3 pcs

Garlic

2 cloves

For the sauce:

Milk

3/4 cup

Vegetable Broth

3/4 cup (or chicken)

Flour

1 tbsp

Cheese

1.5 cups

Butter

3.5 tbsp

Nutmeg

a pinch

Salt

to taste

The process of making meat casserole with eggplants is divided into several stages. First, prepare the eggplants. Cut them into slices, salt them and let them sit for a while to release juice and remove any bitterness. Then fry the eggplants on both sides until partially cooked.

Do the same with the potatoes. Slice them into rounds (fairly thin) and fry until partially cooked.

Now it's time for the ground meat. Finely chop the onion and sauté it until soft, add the ground meat, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and fry it all well.

Prepare the cheese sauce. Melt butter (2 tbsp) in a pan over low heat, add flour, mix and heat for 30-60 seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat. Mix broth and milk and slowly pour into the pan with the butter-flour mixture, stirring continuously. Once all the liquid is added, mix the mass and return to low heat.

Bring the sauce to a boil, simmer for another 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Add grated cheese, salt, grated nutmeg, butter (1.5 tbsp) and mix until the cheese is melted.

The sauce should not be too runny or too thick. It thickens as it cools.

Now assemble our meat casserole. Layer the baking dish with potatoes first, then the ground meat, sliced tomatoes, and finally eggplants. Pour the cheese sauce over everything and place it in the oven preheated to 375°F for 25-30 minutes.