Weeknight Skillet Eggplant Gratin with Herbed Creme Fraiche

Meaty eggplant slices are layered with sauce to create a rich and flavor-packed dish that is easy to make and only uses one skillet. Yesterday, we had our pranks and ate our chocolate bunnies too. For the first time in over 60 years, Easter and April Fool’s fell on the same day.

Pranksters filled my Twitter feed with Easter-style tricks that were quite amusing. Parents sent kids out to search for eggs they didn’t hide. And one mom covered her brussel sprouts in chocolate to try to disguise them as cake pops. Pretty clever.

In my own house, my MC replaced the cream filling in an Oreo with toothpaste. Bill was not amused when he popped that cookie in his mouth.

The ultimate over-the-top prank though has got to be this!We spent the weekend savoring the sunshine, walking the puppy without hats and gloves, packing away the snow gear and donning pretty spring colors, but Mother Nature has tricked us.

School is cancelled and the kids are home for the 4th day in a row. This morning I braced myself for sibling bickering, boredom, and hungry bellies.

It’s a good day to enjoy some comfort food. I have a craving for my Eggplant Gratin and I just happen to have a kitchen full of fresh herbs ready to be chopped.Tomato sauce and creme fraiche smothered eggplant gets baked to golden-brown perfection. The best part? This dreamy recipe uses just one skillet, is easy to throw together and will warm us up on this snowy day.

Olive oil brushed eggplant slices are quickly fried in small batches in my hot cast iron skillet. I make 2-3 layers of eggplant and our favorite jar of sauce, Rao’s. Finally, I ladle the creme fraich that has been simmering away with thyme, chives, parsley and grated parmesan all over the top.

After a final sprinkling of parmesan, I bake this for about 20-25 minutes in the oven until a bubbly layer forms leaving me with a rich and flavorful crust on top.

Who wouldn’t want to dig into this?

The eggplant would pair nicely with a protein, but we enjoy this meaty vegetable as our main dish with just a fresh salad on the side.The herbs enhance the flavor of the eggplant and tomato sauce, making this an impressive tasting, flavor-packed dinner without any carbs.A one-pan clean-up and satisfied tummies might mean the snow outside my window on this spring day isn’t quite so bad.

For more weeknight skillet dinner ideas, check these out!

Weeknight Skillet Herb Pork Chops with Roasted Grapes

Weeknight Skillet Chicken Thighs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Herb and White Wine Chicken Thighs

Do you have a favorite eggplant dish? 

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Eggplant Gratin with Herbs and Creme Fraiche

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Meaty eggplant slices are layered with sauce to create a rich and flavor-packed dish that is easy to make and only uses one skillet.

Course: Dinner

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Jen Seislove

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium to large eggplants sliced 1/2″ thick
• salt & pepper
• olive oil
• 1 32 ounce jar of tomato sauce like Rao's marinara
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh chives finely sliced
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
• 12 ounce container of creme fraiche
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Working in small batches, fry eggplant slices until golden on both sides.
5. In a small saucepan, bring creme fraiche to a simmer over medium heat. Stir often and reduce to about 1 cup.
6. Stir in half of the parmesan and all of the herbs.
7. Place your first layer of eggplant slices in the skillet and pour tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle on a little parmesan.
8. Make two more layers of eggplant, sauce and parmesan.
9. Ladle the creme fraiche mixture over the top and sprinkle with any remaining parmesan.
10. Bake uncovered until golden brown and bubbling, about 20-25 minutes.
11. Let rest before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes

This dish is tasty at room temperature too.
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, make your layers in a casserole dish.