This post may contain affiliate links. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase. Thank you for supporting Fit Happy Free!
This Paleo Eggplant Spinach and Meat Casserole is a tasty, healthy, low-carb meal that gluten-free, grain-free, and full of flavor!
Jump to Recipe |Â Print Recipe
I absolutely love eggplant. I bought a few eggplants a while ago and wanted to make something with them. I initially was going to just bake them and serve them as a side for dinner, but then I thought, why not use them in a sort of casserole? I was also craving lasagna. I figured the eggplant could be sliced and used as a layer similar to how lasagna noodles are. A gluten-free, lower carb version!
So I admit that this Eggplant Spinach and Meat casserole doesn’t necessarily make for the prettiest photos, but this meal was so tasty! My husband loved it and told me I had to make it again. “Can we keep this in the dinner rotation?” he said. I have made it a few times now, and it is definitely one of my favorite, light meals.
I love that this eggplant casserole isn’t too heavy on my stomach, and is gluten free and filled with healthy foods. You can use whatever ground meat you want to for this dish, I typically have used ground turkey when I make this dish just to have a leaner meat. But it would taste just as delicious with ground beef, or even ground Italian sausage!
I chose to top my casserole with a small amount of mozzarella cheese since my husband loves cheese, but if you are dairy-free the cheese is completely optional, and it tastes just as good without the cheese on top. This eggplant spinach casserole makes for a tasty, healthy meal!
This primal Eggplant Spinach and Meat Casserole is a great, delicious, healthy low-carb meal!
- 3 medium eggplant
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound ground meat I use ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 can stewed tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 cup spinach
- 3 eggs whisked
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese optional
-
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Slice the eggplant into slices about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and lay the slices flat on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove from oven and set aside.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes, until the garlic has become fragrant and the onion is translucent.
-
Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until there is no pink left, breaking it up with the spatula.
-
Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, and stir until combined. Simmer for 10 minutes.
-
Assemble the casserole. Layer the bottom of the casserole with one layer of eggplant rounds (I used about 6 large rounds). Spread a small layer of spinach over the top of the eggplants. Then spoon half of the meat mixture over the spinach. Repeat--adding another layer or eggplant, spinach and meat mixture, Top with one last layer of eggplant. Pour the whisked eggs over the top of the casserole.
-
Bake for 35 minutes. Optional--add a layer of mozzarella cheese to the top of the casserole and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
-
Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve and enjoy!
We enjoy this dish very much! Our edits are adding mushrooms and we started using ground turkey sausage for more flavor in the meat (and I don’t always add fennel). It’s a regular on our weeknight rotation. Thanks for sharing!
That sounds wonderful, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Delicious! Ihad to use a can of rotel tomatoes, it is all I had…and a sliced, deseeded, and baked tomato. I was worried, but it turned out terrific. My husband said ” Write this one down”, he lo ves and so do I. The SEASONING is better than spot on! Thank you for sharing this gem.