Peak Fresh Produce® Eggplant Casserole
Peak Fresh Produce® Eggplant Casserole
Directions
- In a saucepan warm the milk then reserve.
- Warm butter flavored oil in a stock pot or large saucepan. Whisk in flour to form a blond roux. Pour warm milk into pan with roux whisking to prevent lumps from forming.
- Stick the cloves into the onion. Add cloves skewered onion, and bay leaf to pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the clove skewered onion and bay leaf and discard.
- Whisk in the six ounces of cheese to the sauce to thickened and then reserve.
- Lay eggplant slices on a parchment lined sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit at room temperature for one hour. Brush off excess salt.
- Warm olive oil in a sauté pan, over medium high heat. Cook eggplants for 1-2 minutes per side. Then reserve.
- Ladle a potion of the bechamel in bottom of a casserole dish then layer the eggplant and tomatoes. Sprinkle with some of the basil and oregano followed by cheddar cheese. Repeat with the final layer of eggplant and tomatoes.
- Heat oven to 400° and bake for 15 minutes. Then serve.
Ingredients
- 2 ea Peak Fresh Produce Eggplant, skin on, sliced into quarter inch wheels
- 1 1/2 tbsp sea salt
- 4 tbsp Roma® Oil, Olive
- 8 ea Peak Fresh Produce® Tomato(es), Roma , sliced
- 1 qt Nature's Best Dairy® Milk, Whole
- 1 cup West Creek® All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Brilliance Butter Flavored Oil
- 1/2 ea Peak Fresh Produce® Onion(s), Yellow
- 2 ea cloves, whole
- 1 ea bay leaf
- 6 oz Bacio® White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp Peak Fresh Produce® Basil, minced
- 2 tbsp Peak Fresh Produce® Oregano, minced
- 2 cups Bacio® White Cheddar Cheese, shredded, for the layers
- 6 leaves ea Peak Fresh Produce® Sage, for garnish
Chef Lonnie Varisco - Corporate Executive Chef, Performance Foodservice.
