When You're Craving Something Hot & Cheesy

It's been raining a lot here lately, which is just fine by me considering I have been glued to my computer with deadlines for the last couple of weeks. This kind of weather (and pending deadlines!) always tends to bring out the little comfort food devil in me: mac & cheese, casseroles and large pasta dishes are what I crave.

With this Italian Eggplant & Turkey "Lasagna" that I made up recently, I can get all that warm, ooey, gooey goodness without the fat and calories. It's real comfort food that add any extra padding...

Italian Eggplant & Turkey "Lasagna"

2 large Italian eggplants, cut lengthwise into ½ inch wide strips
1.25 lbs of ground turkey (7% fat – the 1% fat stuff is way too lean/dry)
½ onion, minced
½ bell pepper, red, minced
¼ cup Eggbeater or other egg substitute
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel spice
2 cups marinara sauce (I used Vons brand which has 50 calories a cup – it was just tomato/basil flavor)
1 cup low-fat grated cheese (I use the low-fat Mexican shredded mix from TJ’s or Kraft)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, grated from a block of Parmesan with a microplane grater
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. About 20 minutes before starting this dish, take slices of eggplant and immediately sprinkle salt on both sides of each slice. Place slices on a baking rack set on a cookie sheet. This will keep the eggplant from turning brown, and will draw out some of the water. Set aside. Cook up the onion and bell pepper in a saute pan until translucent, adding salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix raw ground turkey and eggbeater with about 1 teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper. Using your hands, mix in the cooked onions and peppers and fresh basil, oregano and fennel spice into the ground turkey.

To assemble: Take each slice of eggplant and pat down with paper towels – they will absorb excess water from the eggplant. Now you are ready to assemble the dish. In a 9 x 13 rectangular pan or glass dish (if using pan, might want to line with foil), place a layer of eggplant, a layer of the raw turkey mixture, and 1 cup of marinara sauce. Repeat for one more layer. Finish it off by putting the entire cup of grated cheese on the top layer, plus the ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese on top of that. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and remove the tinfoil, then place back in the oven for 5 minutes to let the cheese get bubbly on top.

Makes six servings. Each serving has approximately 253 calories if you use the exact ingredients I've listed above. Enjoy!