From the roundup: 24 Fall Casserole Recipes for Cozy Comfort Dinners
This eggplant and ground lamb casserole is what I make when I want something that feels like real cooking but does not require me to be at the stove the whole time. The eggplant salts and rests for 20 minutes on its own, then roasts while you brown the lamb. By the time the bechamel comes together, you are mostly just assembling. The active work is probably 35 minutes, and the oven handles the rest.
The spice mix is simple, cinnamon and allspice, but it is what separates this from a regular meat-and-vegetable bake. My kids who are suspicious of eggplant in most forms will eat this, partly because the eggplant goes soft and almost disappears into the layers, and partly because the bechamel on top is genuinely good. One thing I learned the hard way: do not skip the 10-minute rest after it comes out of the oven. I cut into it too early once and the whole thing slid apart on the serving spoon.
It serves six comfortably, and the leftovers hold up better than most casseroles. The layers actually slice cleaner the next day, which makes it worth making on a Sunday if your week looks busy.
Why you will love this
- Salting the eggplant before roasting pulls out moisture so the finished casserole holds its layers and does not pool liquid at the bottom of the dish.
- Ground lamb with cinnamon and allspice gives it a flavor that reads as something special without needing any hard-to-find ingredients.
- The bechamel sets into a firm, golden top that keeps each portion together when you lift it out of the pan.
- The lamb filling and roasted eggplant can both be prepped a day ahead, so assembly on bake day takes about 15 minutes.
- Leftovers refrigerate well for four days and actually slice more cleanly after a night in the fridge.
Tips for success
- Pat the eggplant very dry after rinsing off the salt. If it goes into the oven wet, it steams instead of roasts and stays spongy rather than turning golden and slightly firm.
- Make the bechamel thicker than you think you need. It loosens during baking as the eggplant releases a little steam, and a thin sauce will slide off the top when you go to serve it. It should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line.
- Drain the lamb well if it is fatty. Leaving too much fat in the pan makes the filling greasy and can prevent the layers from holding together. One tablespoon left in the pan is enough to cook the onion.
- Let the casserole rest at least 10 minutes before cutting. Pulling it straight from the oven means the bechamel has not fully set and the layers will collapse when you try to lift a portion.
If your casserole turns out watery
- The most common cause is skipping or rushing the eggplant salting step. Twenty minutes matters here, not five.
- The second cause is not cooking off enough liquid from the lamb filling. Let it simmer until the mixture looks almost dry before you layer it.
- If you used canned tomatoes that were not well drained, extra liquid can pool at the bottom. Press them in a fine-mesh strainer before adding them to the pan.
- A watery batch still tastes good reheated the next day. The liquid absorbs overnight and the texture firms up considerably.
Substitutions
Ground beef works in place of lamb, or a 50/50 mix of beef and pork if that is what you have. The cinnamon and allspice will be a little less pronounced with beef, so you can bump each up by a quarter teaspoon. For the bechamel, 2 percent milk is fine but the sauce will be slightly thinner. Full-fat canned coconut milk is a workable dairy-free swap and pairs surprisingly well with the spiced filling, though the flavor is mildly sweet.
If someone at your table does not eat lamb or eggplant, the lamb filling works well over rice on its own. The eggplant-averse can also try zucchini sliced to the same thickness, though it releases more water during roasting so pat it especially dry.
Make-ahead and storage
Both the roasted eggplant and the cooked lamb filling can be made a day ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator. Assemble and add the bechamel on the day you plan to bake, since the bechamel does not hold well once it sits on top of the layers overnight. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave at medium power for 2 to 3 minutes, or cover the whole dish with foil and warm in a 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes.
This casserole freezes reasonably well for up to two months. Cool it completely before wrapping tightly. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating covered in the oven. The bechamel texture changes slightly after freezing, becoming a little denser, but it is still good and worth doing if you want a ready meal on hand.
Eggplant and Ground Lamb Casserole
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle both sides generously with the 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Let them sit for 20 minutes, which pulls out bitterness and excess water. After 20 minutes, rinse each slice quickly under cold water and pat them very dry. This step matters a lot. Skipping it will make the finished casserole watery and slightly bitter.
- Heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the dried eggplant slices in a single layer on two lightly oiled sheet pans. Brush the tops with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with a little more salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the slices are tender, golden on both sides, and slightly shrunken. Set them aside. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F.
- While the eggplant roasts, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and break it up as it cooks. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully browned with no pink remaining. Drain off any excess fat if the lamb is very fatty, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, and black pepper and stir for 1 minute. Add the drained diced tomatoes, stir to combine, and let the mixture simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes until slightly thickened and most of the liquid has cooked off. Taste and adjust salt.
- Make the bechamel. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture smells slightly nutty and turns a pale golden color. Slowly pour in the warm milk while whisking continuously, adding it in a steady stream to prevent lumps. Keep whisking over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds a line when you drag your finger across it. Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg, egg yolk, and half of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be noticeably thick at this stage, which is exactly what you want.
- Grease your 9×13 inch baking dish lightly with oil or cooking spray. Spread half of the roasted eggplant slices in a single overlapping layer across the bottom of the dish. Spoon all of the lamb filling evenly over the eggplant. Add a second layer using the remaining eggplant slices, overlapping as needed to cover the lamb completely. Pour the bechamel evenly over the top layer, spreading it gently to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the bechamel.
- Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bechamel is set, golden brown on top, and the edges are bubbling. The top should feel firm, not jiggly, when you nudge the pan. Let the casserole rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This resting time is what allows the layers to hold together when you slice and lift portions out of the pan.
Notes
← Back to 24 Fall Casserole Recipes for Cozy Comfort Dinners