Eggplant parmesan quinoa casserole

Get the best of eggplant parmesan in this meal-in-one, easy clean-up version of eggplant parmesan quinoa casserole. No need to precook your quinoa – just mix your ingredients and make for a delicious, easy dinner recipe.

One of my favorite meals has always been eggplant parmesan. Don’t get me wrong, I pretty much love everything with cheese but there’s something about the heartiness of eggplant parmesan that makes it my ultimate comfort food. But here’s the thing, while I may love eggplant parmesan, I absolutely hate making it. SO MANY DISHES. Between breading the eggplant, frying it and then baking it – not to mention making the pasta- it’s all just a little too much work for me to make on a regular basis.

If you’ve been a longtime reader of The Healthy Maven then you know how much I love a good casserole. One pan and BAM you’ve got a meal in one. This is especially true of quinoa casseroles which despite common belief, you do not have to precook your quinoa. It’s all about getting your ratios right and since I’m a lazy but picky cook I’ve managed to get those ratios right just for you.

I also love that this eggplant parmesan quinoa casserole uses simple ingredients and a lot of pantry staples. Tomato sauce, quinoa and spices are all things most of us have on hand. That leaves just eggplant, onion and cheeeeese to pick up from the store. So if you too love eggplant parmesan but don’t want to invest the time or deal with messy clean-up, I’ve got you covered with this eggplant parmesan quinoa casserole.

Here’s What You Need

dry quinoa (not need to precook!)
yellow onion
1 jar of tomato/marinara sauce
spices: oregano, garlic powder, salt + pepper
1 large eggplant
cheese: grated parmesan and mozzarella
fresh basil for serving

No Need to Precook the Quinoa!

So many of the quinoa casserole dishes I’ve tried require you to precook your quinoa but listen up folks – you do not need to precook it! You can cook your quinoa in the oven along with the rest of your ingredients. The key is knowing the correct amounts of each ratio.

Use ONE cup of quinoa – I know it doesn’t sound like a lot but quinoa expands to 3x it’s size so don’t adjust the amount of quinoa
Layering is key – In order to cook your quinoa correctly you need to be cautious of how you layer your ingredients. If you follow the directions below precisely your quinoa will fully cook through and you won’t end up with a soggy casserole

How To Make Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Casserole

Since I know I’ve been aggressively pushing that you do not need to precook your quinoa and that it’s all about layering, I thought I would walk you through the process of making this eggplant parmesan casserole so you can see how it’s done.

One thing to note: I did not bread the eggplant as is done in traditional eggplant parmesan because #yogirlislazy BUT if you do want to do this, whip up one egg in a small bowl and layer 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs on a separate plate. Dip each piece of eggplant into the egg and then coat it with breadcrumbs. When the instructions say to add your eggplant you will continue as directly and baking time is the same. Alright, let’s jump into it:

STEP 1: Grease your 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. I use olive oil- you can use whatever you have. Rinse and drain your quinoa and then place directly into your casserole dish. Add in 1/2 cup of water (stock works too) and diced yellow onion. Stir your oregano and garlic powder directly into the tomato sauce. Pour HALF of tomato sauce jar on top of quinoa + onion mixture. Stir to combine directly in the casserole dish.

STEP 2: Top your quinoa layer with 1/2 a cup of grated parmesan and 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella. Layer your eggplant (breaded or non-breaded) on top of the cheese.

STEP 3: Top eggplant with remaining tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan and mozzarella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

STEP 4: Cover your casserole dish with aluminium foil and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese has fully melted and turned golden brown on top. Serve warm!

Enjoy this perfect meal-in-one casserole with fresh basil sprinkled on top!