Eggplant can be a divisive ingredient, but if you're on this recipe we assume it's something you love. Or, maybe you haven't tried it before! If that's the case, this is a great recipe to make. Manchego cheese takes center stage with the eggplant in this dish.
Manchego cheese isn't among the more popular cheeses out there, but you're going to see why we love it once you make this recipe. Garlic, garlic-flavored pasta sauce, and Italian seasoning add additional flavor to this recipe, ensuring that no bite will be bland.
Most of the cooking for this recipe will be done in the crockpot. Many crockpot recipes take several hours to cook, meaning they need to be planned carefully. This eggplant dish cooks in just two hours, thanks to the power of the high setting.
This is a great dish to make on a weekend. While it cooks, you can do an activity with your family or complete other chores. Two hours may not be enough time for anything really substantial, but it's enough time to allow you to make a good dent in your plans before dinner.
Manchego Italian Eggplant
Ingredients:
4 large eggplants
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
25-1/2 ounces roasted garlic flavor pasta sauce, divided
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning, divided
1 cup grated Manchego cheese, divided
24 ounces marinara sauce, divided
Directions:
1. Peel eggplants and slice horizontally into 3/4-inch-thick pieces.
2. Place flour in shallow bowl. Dredge each slice of eggplant in flour to coat.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic to oil, brown slightly.
4. In batches, lightly brown eggplant on both sides.
5. Pour a thin layer of roasted garlic flavor pasta sauce into bottom of crockpot.
6. Top with eggplant slices, Italian seasoning, Manchego cheese, and marinara sauce. Repeat layers until all ingredients have been used.
7. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 hours.