Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Bake 

Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Bake is my answer to producing delicious Mediterranean flavours in relatively little time. In my house both eggplant and tomato are a must and Mediterranean flavours win out over all others. But to make a moussaka properly to my father in law’s secret recipe takes many hours so we usually only make it for special occasions. Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Bake allows me to produce the rich flavours of roasted eggplant and tomato in a fraction of the time. It is also the perfect dish for when you want to serve a meat free meal as it is very filling.

The preparation is relatively easy as much of the cooking is done in the oven leaving me free to do other things like make lunches. Yes, I do cook the cherry tomato sauce and béchamel sauce on the stove. You can complete them at the same time in about 10 minutes while the eggplants are roasting. It takes 5 minutes to assemble before it is back into the oven for the final bake making the topping puffed and golden.

Thank you Aldi’s!

The tinned cherry tomatoes are a godsend! I found them at Aldi’s (but have seen them at other major supermarkets) and now they are part of my weekly shop. They taste full of the juicy ripeness that fresh cherry tomatoes have but they are conveniently canned. If you can’t find canned cherry tomatoes it would be acceptable to cook up a punnet of cherry tomatoes in passata instead.

Effortless meal prep + all round satisfaction

I can do a lot of the cleaning up while this meal is baking which takes the pressure off after the meal. And the biggest win for me is that my youngest daughter who previously shunned eggplant happily eats it now since I produced this dish. It makes me so happy when the whole family can enjoy the meal.

Health benefits of eggplant and tomatoes – a win win for everyone!

Eggplants and tomatoes have been part of the Mediterranean diet for centuries.  They are rich in vitamins and fibre and some studies indicate that may be good for heart health and keeping cholesterol levels low. Being high in fibre they assist with keeping blood sugar levels under control. Studies have also found that eggplant may include nutrients which help fight cancer.

The more I look into the benefits the healthier I feel! Eggplants are high in antioxidants.  Tomatoes are also high in antioxidants and vitamin C. They contain lycopene which helps aid heart health and can fight cancer. They are also high in potassium and folate as well as vitamin k. Tomatoes are a good source of fibre too.  Because this eggplant and tomato bake has a good fat content, the lycopene in the tomatoes is more readily absorbed.  Lycopene is useful to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke and also to reduce cholesterol.

The health benefits seem endless. I could go into more detail but you really should feel comfortable in knowing that this dish is super healthy.  It should have a place on your regular menu.

I make this often in the evenings for my family but I would be proud to serve it for a dinner party particularly if some guests were vegetarians.  You could make a moussaka and an eggplant and tomato bake alongside one another and there would be smiles all round!

So if you are seeking rich Mediterranean flavours but you don’t have a lot of time to produce such a meal, try eggplant and cherry tomato bake.  It is a delightful, low fuss and most of all healthy meal that is sure to delight family and friends.

How to make Eggplant and Tomato Bake

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Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Bake

A filling and nutritious bake of layers of roasted eggplant and fruity cherry tomatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Bake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Author Jane Georgiades - Milly, Molly and Me

Ingredients

• 2-3 eggplants, sliced
• 2-3 400g /14oz tins of cherry tomatoes or
• 250 g fresh cherry tomatoes and 700ml of tomato passata instead of tinned cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic finely diced
• 1 tbsp italian herbs of choice
• 3 tbsp self raising flour
• 1 glug (4 tbsp) olive oil
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup tasty or parmesan cheese
• 1 slice bread

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.

Roast Eggplants

1. Lay the eggplant on two roasting trays and drizzle with oil.  Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and soft. 

   

Tomato sauce

1. While doing this heat the cherry tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes and passatta whichever using) in a saucepan with oil, garlic and a table spoon of Italian herbs of your choice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Béchamel Sauce

1. At the same time heat the oil (I use a good glug to be precise) in another saucepan gently, add the flour and stir with a whisk.  Slowly add the milk to create a thick sauce.  When thickened add salt and pepper to taste and a handful of cheese. 

Assembly

1. When the eggplant is cooked, layer half the eggplant and half the tomato in a baking dish and then repeat. Top with the béchamel sauce and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Crumble the slice of bread with your fingers and scatter over the top.  Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden.  Serve with salad.