This Hash Browns Eggplant Casserole is a great choice for dinner. This dish is a combination of hash browns, ground beef and roasted eggplant. It’s easy and healthy!
It’s like lasagna, but with a new twist of hash browns and eggplants!
After a long day, all I need is an easy dinner that comes together in less than an hour, is delicious and doesn’t need fancy ingredients. Because who has time or energy to make something super fancy when they are so tired? Knowing this, I’ve started to make more casseroles lately and one reason is that they are easy to make, there are many ways to make them and many ingredients to use in them.
I don’t know about you but we love hash browns. For breakfast, lunch or dinner. They’re easy to make and they get crispy and I’m a big fan of anything crispy! That’s why I used Hungry Jack Hashbrowns for this hash browns and eggplant casserole. It’s so easy to use, comes together in no time and is tasty.
I used Hungry Jack Black Pepper and Onion Hashbrowns and I loved it. That onion flavor combines so well with black pepper and definitely gives a great flavor to the dish. If you are anything like me in tasting food as you make it, make sure you are making an extra pack of these hash browns because you will end up “tasting” them too much, if you know what I mean. You can also find which stores have Hungry Jack Hashbrowns here.
To make this hash browns eggplant casserole I roasted slices of eggplant, made a ground beef filling and sauteed the hash browns. Then I layered everything in a dish with some cheese and that was it. Of course you can use mushroom instead of ground beef for a vegetarian version. I used turmeric for some nice color and garlic powder for a little bit of more taste. If you don’t have garlic powder, just use regular garlic.
I also have to tell you that there is a Hashbrowns for Dinner contest that runs between May 9th (next week) and June 19th that you can enter by voting for my photo here, but here is the good part: you will have a chance of winning a grand prize trip to NASCAR race! You can get more information here.
We enjoyed this dish so much that I’m probably going to make it again soon. I’m sure you will like it, too!
Related Recipes:
- Skillet Hash Browns with Sausage
- Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Walnuts
- Teriyaki Chicken Loaded Sweet Potatoes
- Juicy One Pan Meatballs
- Cauliflower Potato Curry
- Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
Hashbrowns Eggplant Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 packs Hungry Jack Black Pepper and Onion Hashbrowns
- 1 big eggplant sliced
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup shredded melting cheese I used low fat Mexican blend
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Prepare Hungry Jack Hashbrowns according to the package, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan and saute hashbrowns until crispy and golden brown, set aside.
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While hashbrowns are browning, roast sliced eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes, set aside.
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Heat the remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil in pan, saute onion until translucent, add in ground beef and saute for another 5 minutes until browned and cooked through.
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Add in chopped celery, chopped red bell pepper and all the spices. Cook for another 5 minutes.
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Lightly coat an 8X8 oven safe dish with non stick spray, layer 1/3 of hashbrowns at the bottom of the dish, layer 1/2 of eggplants and 1/2 of ground beef mixture and 1/3 cup cheese.
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Repeat with hashbrowns, eggplants, ground beef mixture and cheese. The last layer is hashbrowns and cheese.
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Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until cheese is melted.
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Serve warm with some arugula and tomatoes.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Tina Marie
I had to print this recipe out! Sounds so good! Can’t wait to start our garden and be able to make this with some fresh from the backyard eggplant.
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
That is so lovely! I would love to have a backyard garden so i can plant veggies!
Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine
It was only recently that I started liking eggplants. I spent my whole life hating them, so now I need to catch up with all the delicious things I can make with them! So this dish is definitely making the list!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
I was the same! I’ve had an on-again off-again relationship with eggplant but there are many recipes out there we’ve gotta try! 😀
Keith @ How's it Lookin?
Looks delicious. Eggplant is one of my favorite foods, thanks for the idea
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Glad you like it Keith!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Love how comforting and delicious this casserole is!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Thank you Thalia!
Julie at Hostess At Heart
This looks absolutely delicious! I am really getting hungry for some hashbrowns after seeing them on Jennifer’s site too. I love that you made an entire meal out of them.
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Thank you Jenny! My family really liked this dish too! 😀
Tracy @ Served from Scratch
This casserole looks sooo good. I love all things hash browns but have never thought about putting it into a casserole before!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Glad you like it Tracy! <3 🙂
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake
This casserole looks so yummy, and I love how easy it is – my kind of dinner!
And those hashbrowns look just perfect!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Thank you Michelle! The easier, the better 😀
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant
Oh Shadi I am alllllll over this! I love lasagna but don’t eat a lot of pasta so this is just perfect for me. Honestly, I don’t really miss pasta. I miss all the flavors and sauces that go along with it!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
So do I Christine! I was actually thinking to myself that it has been a very long time since I last had pasta and I’m wondering why 😀
Dini @ The Flavor Bender
YUM!! Such a great way to use Hash browns! Plus both me and my husband are suckers for eggplant too 🙂 Perfect for dinner!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Thank you Dini! We eat eggplants a lot, too. They just go well with many stuff!
Meghan | Fox and Briar
I love hash browns so much, but this is a totally new way to use them! I love that twist on lasagna, and I am like you, I LOVE anything crispy. Also I think eggplant is one of my husband’s favorite foods, so I know he would love this too!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Eggplant makes everything better 😀
Bam's Kitchen
Now this is my kind of one pan breakfast. Love it. I also love your juicy one pan meatballs and I am thinking those are going to be on our menu this week. Wishing you a super week and sharing everywhere!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
I hope you make them and like them Bam! 🙂 <3
Jennifer
I never thought of putting eggplant with hashbrowns! What a great casserole! You can make it for carnivores too if you like! I could see adding some venison to mine and making it for Father’s Day as my hubby loves it!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
That sounds awesome Jennifer! I would love to know how your version would be! I’m sure it’s going to be delicious!
Sandi (@fearless_dining)
I think you just coined a new concept…hash brown lasagna. Sounds absolutely incredible, especially for those of us who can’t eat gluten lasagna noodles.
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
That’s so cool Sandi! Yea We liked this dish a lot, it’s good alternative to the good old lasagna!