Southern Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant casserole was my very favorite thing to get on Sunday afternoons after church at the old Wyatt's Cafeteria in Dallas. It took me years to recreate this creamy, cheesy, and comforting dish.

I’m thrilled to share it with you in the hopes that it stirs up your memories or creates brand new ones!

This simple side dish pairs beautifully with meat or poultry and can also serve as a satisfying vegetarian dinner full of hearty flavor. If you received eggplant in your CSA box, this is the absolute best way to use it!

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways

• This creamy, cheesy, and satisfying recipe will make you love this underused vegetable.
• This is so good for potlucks because it's easy and unique. Or, serve it as a vegetarian dinner or delicious side dish.
• Don't store or freeze in aluminum - the acids in the casserole will react with it.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Variations

1. Sautéing the Vegetables—Melted butter adds richness to the casserole, but you can use olive oil if you prefer.
2. Veggie Blend—Some people like to add diced zucchini, sliced mushrooms, and/or minced garlic for a different flavor and texture.
3. Onion Options—Use your favorite type of onion. White, sweet, Vidalia, or yellow onions are all great choices. I wouldn't use red onions or green onions (except for garnish.)
4. Butter Crackers—If you don't have Ritz, you can substitute another similar brand, like Club crackers.
5. Or, Bread Crumbs—You can also sprinkle bread crumbs on top before baking. If you have some to use up, they'll do the job. However, they don't taste as buttery as the crackers. In that case, you should drizzle a few tablespoons of extra melted butter over top, too.
6. Cheesy choices—Cheddar cheese really complements the flavors of this casserole, but you can experiment with other types too. Add in a little Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, or Parmesan cheese if you'd like to experiment.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Peel and dice the eggplant.
2. Boil eggplant and saute the onions/peppers. Drain and dry eggplant.
3. Mix together the veggies and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Bake until golden brown.

Casserole times and temps

Sometimes you need to bake two things at once - here's how to adjust the time and/or temperatures of your casserole!

These times are only an estimate. Be sure to check your casserole often. It's done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when stuck in the middle of the casserole.

🍴 Equipment

• 13x9-inch casserole dish
• chef's knife
• cutting board
• saucepan
• large bowl
• skillet

🥫 How to store leftover eggplant casserole

Leftovers? No problem!

Let the casserole cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Reheat the eggplant casserole in the microwave until it's warmed up again.

Prep in advance

You can prep this eggplant casserole recipe in advance to make dinnertime even easier.

Follow the recipe instructions through #9. Once all the ingredients are in the baking dish, cover it with some plastic and refrigerate for up to twelve hours.

Bake as directed in the recipe card below. You may need to add 5 - 10 minutes extra baking time since the ingredients will be cold.

To freeze

Eggplant casserole can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Let it come to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

Don't freeze in an aluminum pan or allow aluminum to come in contact with the casserole long term. There's a chemical reaction between the two that will make your eggplant taste metallic and your aluminum pan pitted and ruined.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.

💭 Things to know

1. Dice the eggplant as evenly as possible to ensure even cooking!
2. Larger eggplant isn't better. The bigger it is the more of a tendency it has to be bitter.
3. You can quickly pulse the crackers in a food processor a few times to crush them. Or, to prevent having to wash more dishes, place the crackers into a plastic bag and give the bag a few good whacks with a rolling pin. (Just make sure to seal the bag or you'll be cleaning up cracker crumbs for days!)
4. Use a mix of bell peppers if you can. Green peppers are more earthy and red are sweeter, so you'll enjoy a variety of flavors in the casserole.
5. Use a 2-quart casserole dish.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

📚 Related recipes

🍽️ Serve with...

Grilled Chicken Breast with spicy bourbon peaches is sweet and smoky! It's perfect with the creamy texture and cheesy flavor of the eggplant.

Cheddar and Cracked Black Pepper Dinner Rolls compliment the cheese in the casserole. They are tender, fluffy, and just packed with flavor.

Old-fashioned Dutch apple crumble pie is always a delicious addition to the dinner table!

🍽️ Repurpose leftovers

1. Stuffed peppers - Hollow out bell peppers and fill them with chopped eggplant casserole. Top with grated cheese. Bake until the peppers are tender.
2. Stuffed mushrooms - Remove the stems from large mushrooms and stuff the caps with chopped eggplant casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake until the mushrooms are tender.
3. Chicken stuffing - Pound out chicken breasts thinly. Put a spoonful of stuffing in the upper third and roll the chicken breast around it, securing with a toothpick. Cover with undiluted cream of mushroom soup. Bake at 375F until the chicken is done, about 35 minutes.

📞 The last word

This cheesy eggplant casserole has been on my "A" list since I was a little kid. Sometimes I add a little creole seasoning or hot sauce to spice it up but most often I just make it as written.

It's one of my favorite summer casseroles, very comforting. I like all year but good eggplants (or aubergines if you're fancy) are hard to find in the winter.

Try this baked squash casserole recipe next time. It's another favorite.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Southern Eggplant Casserole

4.59 from 34 votes

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This southern eggplant casserole is like the one they served at Wyatt's Cafeteria in the 1970s. It's a simple recipe that's full of cheesy goodness!

Course Casserole,Side Dish

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings:8

Calories:335

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 cups eggplant, about 1 pounds, 5 cups diced eggplant
• ▢ ¼ cup onion, chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup bell peppers, diced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, for sauteing peppers and onion
• ▢ 2 eggs, beaten
• ▢ ½ cup evaporated milk
• ▢ 2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed divided use
• ▢ 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• ▢ ⅓ cup butter, melted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Peel and dice the eggplant.
• Cook peeled, diced eggplant in boiling water until tender.
• Remove from heat and drain well.
• Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.
• Saute the onions and peppers until soft.
• In a large bowl, combine cooked eggplant, beaten eggs, crushed crackers, milk, shredded cheese, peppers and onions, melted butter, and salt and pepper.
• Spoon into prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

Storage:

Store covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Tips:

• Drain the cooked eggplant really well to prevent a runny casserole. After boiling, dab the pieces of eggplant with some paper towels to soak up additional moisture.
• Dice the eggplant as evenly as possible to ensure even cooking!
• Larger eggplant isn't better. The bigger it is the more of a tendency it has to be bitter.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 580mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 862IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published Jul 29, 2022. Last updated May 31, 2024,for more information, tips, and editorial improvements.

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