Name: Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso Recipe (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: Oil or butter for greasing the pan; 3 tablespoons of butter; 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (, sifted); 1 1/2 cups of whole milk ((or milk substitute)); 1 teaspoon of salt ((or more, to taste)); 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese; 4 large eggplants sliced thinly; 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole) is a favorite Dominican dish, and perfect for vegetarians.

Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole): a favorite Dominican dish. Serve with a salad and you'll have a complete meal.

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If you are a vegetarian trying to survive on Dominican food, this Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole) will be a to-go recipe. It's a great dish whether you're a vegetarian or not, to be honest.

Eggplants are very popular in the Dominican Republic, at least with adults, I've yet to know a child that likes them. Eggplants appear in many dishes, often mixed with meat.

There is a similar dish to this with meat as the filling if you're into that, but if you're looking a meatless version or even a side dish to serve with meat, this is just perfect for the role.

Buen provecho!

Aunt Clara

Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso Recipe (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole)

Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole): a favorite Dominican dish. Serve with a salad and you'll have a complete meal.

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Dominican

Keyword: pastelon

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 243kcal

Recipe Author: Clara Gonzalez

Ingredients

Oil or butter for greasing the pan
3 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour , sifted
1 1/2 cups of whole milk (or milk substitute)
1 teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)
1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
4 large eggplants sliced thinly
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 °F [180ºC]. Grease a mid-sized baking pan.
In a saucepan heat the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the two are well mixed. Add the milk and stir until it reaches a uniform consistency. Add a pinch of salt and keep stirring until it becomes a thick cream. Add the mozzarella cheese and mix. Taste and add more salt to taste if needed. Set aside.
Lay a layer of eggplants on the baking pan and spread some of the sauce that you had prepared previously. Keep adding layers of eggplants, "glueing" each layer with the sauce. Cover with a final layer of eggplant. Cover the baking pan with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and bake until the top is light golden.

Tips and Notes

For a vegan version use cheese substitute of your choice (I have made it with rice "mozzarella".) The consistency and flavor will be different, but still delicious.

The main point of using Parmesan is to obtain a crispy crust that contrasts with the creaminess of this dish. You can obtain a similar result by using breadcrumbs lightly soaked in olive oil.