Eggplant Gratin
This recipe actually made me LIKE eggplants! You can really expirement with different cheeses, here: I have also used *vegan feta cheese over the top and equally enjoyed! This is a recipe you will make over and over again as people love it, and, it's easy!
Ingredients
- 2 large Eggplants, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche Again, I have experimented with lots of different cheeses and cheese combinations, here. Choose whatever sounds good to you!
- 1/2 cup Half & Half
- 3 ounces Feta Cheese I love using Trader Joe's VEGAN FETA if you want to make this recipe vegan. Just sub out all dairy for plant-based dairy!
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme , chopped Use dried if that is all you have.
- 4-5 Basil Leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp Chives, chopped
- 3/4 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
- 3 tbsp EVOO
- Salt + Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Place sliced eggplant on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (depending on the size of your eggplants, you may need two baking sheets!)
- Sprinkle BOTH sides of the eggplant slices with salt and pepper and brush with EVOO.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the Creme Fraiche, half & half, and feta cheese. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the herbs and set aside.
- In a 2.5-quart baking dish, spread tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Place eggplant slices on top. It is okay if they slightly overlap one another. Spread tomato sauce once again over the top of eggplant slices.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup Gruyere Cheese over the top and scatter basil leaves over the cheese.
- Continue layering with remaining eggplant slices, sauce, cheese, and basil. Finish with pouring the Creme and Feta mixture over the top and sprinkle with remaining Gruyere cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and the top is browned. Feel free to turn the broiler on and move to the top of oven in order to brown the top of the gratin for 1-2 minutes.