Today is the perfect day for meal prepping and getting rid of aaaaaall of my soon-to-be-bad produce. I have been getting much better at only purchasing foods that I KNOW I will eat the following week, however, sometimes I still purchase food with the plan to make “something” with it. Over a week ago I purchased some eggplant. I didn’t really feel like making a stir fry or eggplant parm so it kind of just sat there waiting for me. I thought of possibly making an eggplant sammy. Nope. I thought of putting it in soup. Nope. Then, finally, I decided I would whip together some sort of casserole dish before the poor thing met its demise. Enter, this Easy Eggplant and Chickpea Casserole. ALL THE YES!!!!!!

Accidental and creative dishes are my favourite. Where you don’t really know what you’re making … you just kind of wing it … and it turns out AMAZEBALLS!!!!! Luckily, this dish can go under that category.

Not only is this dish EASY, it also reaps a bunch of benefits.

Chickpeas

High in fiber

Improve digestion

Help protect against heart disease

Balance cholesterol levels

High in B Vitamins and Iron

Packed with plant-based Protein

Eggplant

Improves bone health

Enhances brain function

Reduces risk of anemia

Helps manage diabetes

Rich in antioxidants

Improves cardiovascular health

Tomato

Enhances skin health

Rich in vitamins and minerals

Improves vision

Reduces risk of hypertension

Aids in maintaining healthy hair, teeth, and bones

Prevents UTI’s

Print Easy Eggplant and Chickpea Casserole Ingredients 1 Eggplant

2 cans Chickpeas rinsed and drained

1/3 can Diced Tomato drained (you can also use fresh tomato)

1 1/4 cups Marinara Sauce

1/3 cup Chopped Kale

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbsp Dried Italian Herbs

1 pinch Turmeric

1 tsp Garlic Salt

1 tbsp Vegan Bacon Bits optional

1/3 - 1 cup Vegan Mozza Shreds depending on how cheesy you want Instructions Preheat oven to 375F. Wash and cut eggplant into 1/2" thick rounds. Place on baking sheet and salt both sides of eggplant disks. Allow to sit for at least 30 mins to absorb water. Blot eggplant with paper towel to dry. Spread 1/2 cup of marina in bottom of casserole dish (I used 9x6). Add chickpeas and diced tomato. Stir to combine. Add in herbs, another 1/2 cup of marinara, salt, pepper, turmeric, and garlic salt. Stir. Top with chopped kale and bacon bits (if you're using). Layer on eggplant, slightly overlapping each other. Add top with remaining marinara and cheese. Bake in oven for 35 - 40 mins. Once removed from oven, allow to sit for a few minutes and serve!

VIOLA! You have yourself an Easy Eggplant and Chickpea Casserole. Seriously, I love this dish. It is so simple to make with very little prep and it is so nutritious! For the mozza shreds I used Earth Island (also known as Follow Your Heart) feel free to use your favourite shreds. I used vegan bacon bits because I just found out that they are vegan and so I was super excited to use them … they are not necessary but they give an extra little kick of flava.

This dish seemed to be even better the next day after all of the goodness combined together and set in the fridge. I hope you enjoy my Easy Eggplant and Chickpea Casserole ! 🙂

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