Meat casserole with eggplant and cheese

Ingredients:

Meatloaf

• 900 g of ground beef
• 2/3 cup basil, chopped
• 2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2/3 cup canned tomato sauce with basil
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 small onion, finely chopped

Eggplants

• 1/4 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut off the stem and the opposite end, cut into 6-8 circles 1 cm wide.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/3 to 3/4 cup canned tomato basil sauce, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 cup whole milk mozzarella, coarsely grated

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. To make meatloaf, combine ground beef, basil, Parmesan, basil-tomato sauce, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, eggs, and onion until smooth. Spread the mixture on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake until cooked through or until a thermometer inserted into the crust registers 165°F (71°C), about 20-25 minutes.
3. To cook the eggplant, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant slices one at a time and fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Turn the slices over and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on top of the meatloaf. Add 1-1.5 tablespoons of tomato-basil sauce to the center of each eggplant slice. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt.
5. Cut the meatloaf into 6-8 pieces and serve each with an extra dollop of tomato-basil sauce.