Eggplant Pizza Bake

I was craving pizza, and planned on making eggplant pizzas. However, when I started to brainstorm my meals for the week, I wanted a way to stretch my recipes and save prep time. So after making the Protein Loaded Pizza Sauce, I prepped the veggies for pizza, and then made extra for this dish. It’s a divine combination of tomato, eggplant, zucchini, cajun spice, and goat cheese. 

Start with the Protein Loaded Pizza Sauce. It will take 30-60 minutes to simmer. Then prep your veggies and start your Eggplant Pizza Bake.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 8 ounces organic whole mushrooms
• 1 zucchini sliced
• 3 small shallots chopped
• 4 small cloves garlic chopped
• 6 drops Young Living Basil Essential Oil
• 3 drops Young Living Thyme Essential Oil
• ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces of goat cheese (1 log)
• Salt and pepper
• One sausage sliced (optional for vegetarian; My favorite is Bilinski’s Andouille Chicken Sausage)

Directions:Prepare the Protein Loaded Pizza Sauce.

1. Preheat oven to 500.
2. Clean the veggies. I soaked the mushrooms in Young Living Fruit and Vegetable Soak – it is the best at getting dirt off fruits and vegetables.
3. Chop garlic and shallots.
4. Slice zucchini into ¼ inch thick slices, and slice mushrooms.
5. Slice eggplant in ¼ inch slices, and place them on a couple cookie sheets. 
6. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a measuring cup with 4 drops Young Living Basil Essential Oil and 2 drops Young Living Thyme Essential Oil. I talk about my dish with essential oils here in this veggie pasta sauce post. I’m available to help you use them in and out of the kitchen. Click here to learn how to order them. 
7. Brush the olive and essential oil mixture on the slices of eggplant. Salt and pepper generously. Flip them over and repeat with the other side.
8. Sprinkle 2 chopped cloves garlic on the eggplant.
9. Broil eggplant at 500 for 7 mins
10. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan on medium-high heat, add zucchini, shallots, and remaining 2 cloves of garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes. 
11. After three minutes add 2 tablespoons olive oil, mushrooms, 2 drops Young Living Basil Essential Oil, and 1 drop Young Living Thyme Essential Oils. Cook until tender, but not mushy.
12. Change the oven temperature to 350.
13. Slice the sausages (if desired). I like this brand because it’s antibiotic, gluten, casein, nitrates, nitrites, and MSG-free. This flavor has a little kick, and one sausage adds just a hint of cajun spice to the dish. I’ve been in search of vegan / gluten-free sausages and they are a hard find
14. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce at the bottom of a 10 x 12 glass pan – this prevents the eggplant from sticking without using a spray.
15. Place eggplant on top of the sauce
16. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the eggplant
17. Top with a layer of mushrooms, zucchini, and sliced andouille chicken sausage (omit for vegetarian, but consider a sprinkle of a cajun spice if avoided).
18. Repeat layers. Eggplant, sauce, goat cheese, mushrooms, zucchini, and sausage. 
19. Bake for 45 minutes. 
20. Remove from oven, and let it cool for 10 minutes.
21. Serve & enjoy!

What are your favorite eggplant dishes?