Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 09/24/21
Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole

The Spruce /Diana Rattray

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This delicious casserole is a wonderful way to enjoy a combination of zucchini and eggplant, and since the vegetables are combined with tomatoes and onions and layered with gooey cheese and buttered breadcrumbs, it is a dish that even the kids will love. This vegetable casserole is perfect to make in summer when zucchini and eggplant are fresh from the garden. Serve as a filling vegetarian main dish or as a side dish alongside chicken or beef.

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Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes, or 4 to 5 small eggplants, sliced into rounds

  • 2 medium zucchini or summer squash, or a combination, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  • 1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put eggplant and zucchini in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil until vegetables are tender about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.

  3. Heat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

  4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the 1 tablespoon butter and sauté the onion until tender.

  5. Remove from heat and combine the onion with the stewed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and the drained eggplant and zucchini.

  6. In a medium bowl, mix the soft breadcrumbs with the melted butter.

  7. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture into the prepared casserole. Top with about 2/3 of the cheese and 2/3 of the breadcrumbs.

  8. Top with the remaining vegetable mixture and the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.

  9. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and the casserole is bubbly.

Tip

  • If you don't have the type of breadcrumb called for in a recipe, you can substitute the dried version. Just keep in mind that the texture will be different as the soft breadcrumbs are somewhat light and fluffy while the dried are, well, dry. When measuring, 1 cup of soft breadcrumbs is equivalent to 3/4 cup of dried breadcrumbs; both measurements are equal to 3 slices of bread. 

Soft Breadcrumbs vs. Dried 

This recipe calls for soft breadcrumbs instead of dried breadcrumbs. Dried breadcrumbs are what we find sold in canisters in the grocery store—plain and seasoned, as well as the panko variety—and are finely ground and made from oven-dried bread. Soft breadcrumbs, on the other hand, are made from fresh (or slightly stale) loaves of bread and processed into larger crumbs; most often we have to make these ourselves either simply by tearing the bread or pulsing in a food processor. Dried breadcrumbs are mainly used to coat food before frying or as a binding ingredient in meatloaf or meatballs; soft breadcrumbs are used for stuffing and when tossed with melted butter, are the perfect topping for casseroles and macaroni and cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
501 Calories
27g Fat
47g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 501
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 1214mg 53%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 12mg 62%
Calcium 513mg 39%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 668mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)