Greek Eggplant And Chicken Casserole

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 medium raw eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb ground chicken breast
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 2 medium garlic, clove(s) minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped
• 1/3 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/3 teaspoon chives, dried
• 1/3 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons canned tomato paste
• 3/4 cup soyakaas grated parmesan style soy cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350ºf. coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• 2 lay eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle tops with 3/4 teaspoon of salt. let stand 20 minutes to draw moisture out.
• 3 meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. add chicken and cook until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes. add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes more. add fresh parsley, dried herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and stir to coat. cook 1 minute, until herbs and spices are fragrant.
• 4 add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
• 5 off heat, coat surface of same skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. wipe salt from eggplant slices with paper towel and add eggplant to hot skillet. cook, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
• 6 arrange half of eggplant slices on bottom of prepared baking pan, slightly overlapping pieces to cover entire surface of pan. top eggplant with chicken mixture and then top chicken with 1/4 cup of grated topping. top with remaining eggplant slices and remaining 1/2 cup of grated topping.
• 7 bake until top is golden brown and filling is hot, about 45 minutes. let stand 10 minutes, slice into 6 pieces and serve.