Earl Cooks Eggplant & Rice Casserole With 2 Cheeses

Eggplant seems to be the darling of the vegetarian /vegan community. I see it used in dishes that look SO good, and I have wanted to use them more. My first try was a failure, but I found an idea that seemed a bit better. It would include an eggplant, mozzarella & Parmesan cheeses, tomato sauce and rice.

First I covered the eggplant, sliced thin, with salt to draw out the moisture and bitterness. I rinsed the slices to remove the salt and began layering the eggplant and other ingredients almost like a lasagna, tomato sauce, rice, eggplant, cheese until I had filled my casserole dish and used all of the ingredients, topping it all with cheese. I baked it at 350℉ until hot throughout and the cheese all melted.

Results & Conclusions
I liked it okay, but I won't make it again. It ended up with far too much liquid in the bottom. My wife was unimpressed and hardly ate any of her bowl. I finished mine, but didn't bother to keep the leftovers, which is VERY rare for me.

It seems I just haven't come upon a recipe that makes eggplant worth cooking. It may be that we love meat so much that we are not tasting what others taste. I will try ONE more time, and hope that is isn't 3 strikes and out!