Summer Eggplant Gratin Recipes

EGGPLANT AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Turn and bake 7-8 minutes longer or until lightly browned and tender. Cool on a wire rack., Place one eggplant slice in each of two 10-oz. ramekins coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce and 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

EASY EGGPLANT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Preheat a grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill eggplant slices until cooked through and evenly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.
• Mix half-and-half, egg, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant slices in each of 2 individual gratin dishes. Sprinkle each with 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Spoon half the marinara sauce into each dish. Top each with a second layer of eggplant slices, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place the dishes on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the custard sets and the top is browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

EGGPLANT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.
• Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

SUMMER EGGPLANT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Butter a shallow oval gratin dish that is about 12 inches long, or a 2-quart baking dish.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy, nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté until glossy, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes, sugar, and salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring often, until the tomatoes cook down to a chunky sauce, about 15 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings, stir in the basil, and transfer to a bowl.
• Clean and wipe dry the sauté pan and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• Heat over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the eggplant slices in an even layer. Cook on both sides until browned and tender, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• On the bottom of the dish, arrange half the eggplant slices, overlapping each other slightly in concentric rings to form a single layer. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Top with half the tomatoes. Repeat the layers. Layer on the shredded cheese. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
• Bake for 25 minutes, then turn the oven heat down to 350°F Bake another 20 minutes, or until the eggplant slices are completely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife and the top is lightly browned. If the cheese begins to brown too much before the eggplant is done, cover the baking dish with foil.
• Present the baking dish at table on a heatproof pad, scooping individual servings onto each plate.

END OF SUMMER VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the shallots, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon thyme in a baking dish. Bake, stirring halfway through, until lightly caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Line 2 baking sheets with cooling racks. Divide the eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini between the 2 sheets. Season the vegetables with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Firmly press the vegetables with a kitchen towel to remove excess water. Lift the racks from the baking sheets and brush off any excess water and salt. Transfer the vegetables onto the sheet trays. Add the tomatoes to one of the sheet trays. Toss each type of vegetable with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
• Make one stack of vegetables on a baking sheet. Start with 1 tomato slice, top it with 1 to 2 slices of zucchini, depending on the size, 1 to 2 slices of yellow squash, and then top with 1 slice of eggplant. (The zucchini and yellow squash slices should fill the same amount of space as the tomato and eggplant; if they are smaller slices, use two.) Place the stack on its side in the baking dish, on top of the caramelized shallots. Repeat making stacks and adding them into the baking dish in a spiral, working from the outside inward. If there are extra vegetables, add them to the center of the dish at the end. Sprinkle with the fontina and Parmesan. Bake until the vegetables are tender and the cheese is melted and golden brown, 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes.
• Garnish with the basil and serve with crusty bread.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat broiler to high.
• Trim off and discard ends of eggplant. Cut eggplant into 16 slices of equal thickness. Set aside.
• Cut each tomato lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. There should be 16 slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Arrange eggplant slices in one layer on a baking sheet. Brush top of each slice with 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place eggplant slices under broiler about 4 inches from source of heat. Let broil about 3 minutes and turn slices. Broil about 3 minutes more. Take care that eggplant does not burn.
• Arrange eggplant and tomato slices in baking dish, slightly overlapping.
• Blend parsley, garlic and onion and sprinkle mixture over eggplant and tomatoes.
• Dribble remaining 2 tablespoons oil over top and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
• Place dish under broiler about 6 to 7 inches from source of heat and broil about 3 minutes.
• Adjust oven temperature to 450 degrees. Put vegetables in oven and bake 3 minutes. Serve.

LIGHTER EGGPLANT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat sherry and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add eggplant, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until pepper is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add basil, salt, and pepper.
• Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; season with salt and pepper. Whisk rapidly until smooth, about 1 minute. Add milk. Bring to a boil; stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1/4 cup cheese blend and stir until melted. Toss eggplant mixture in the cheese sauce; transfer to a nonstick baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Top evenly with remaining 3/4 cup cheese blend; continue baking until set, about 15 minutes more.

TOMATO, SQUASH AND EGGPLANT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart rectangular or oval baking dish.
• Combine the vegetables in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil, chopped rosemary and thyme leaves and toss gently.
• Arrange the vegetables in rows in the baking dish in this order: tomato slice, eggplant slice, tomato slice, squash slice, onion slice, tomato slice, eggplant slice, tomato slice, etc. Each slice of eggplant should have a tomato slice on either side. The vegetables should not be lying flat; they should be arranged in the dish as if you had stacked them, then lay the whole stack in the dish, all of the rounds slanting slightly to one side. Insert the herb sprigs into the dish. Pour any juice left in the bowl on top. Cover tightly with foil.
• Place in the oven and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and lightly colored on the edges.