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This Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin is bursting with fabulous Italian flavor. A delicious, make-ahead, dinner party-worthy meal!
The first time I made this Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin, Scott announced, after taking the first bite, "This might be the most delicious meal you've ever made!". The good thing is that I enjoy it as much as he does and it's gotten rave reviews from family, friends... everyone who tries it!
I love that this Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin can be made hours (or even a day) in advance and simply popped in the oven for the final baking just before dinner, making it perfect for a dinner party. It's also a great dish to take to a friend or family in need; delicious comfort food that can be delivered and then baked whenever it's convenient for their schedule. I took a pan of it to a friend one evening and got this text a few hours later:
Chris, our dinner was AWESOME! We both moaned throughout the entire meal. I'm not kidding!!
I love having treasures like this Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin in my recipe arsenal!
Although this dish might be a little indulgent for the diet-conscious, it doesn't need pasta to be enjoyed, which saves in the calorie department. Also, the recipe calls for just twelve ounces of Italian sausage which is drained of extra fat after cooking. The sausage gives tons of fabulous flavor without adding a lot of fat.
And for another healthy alternative, I decided to roast my eggplant in the oven in lieu of frying it as many eggplant recipes call for. The thick slices of eggplant are brushed lightly with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and into the oven they go. Thirty minutes later they're tender and ready to be combined with the fragrant tomato sauce.
There's one delicious splurge that takes this Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin over the top (literally!). While the eggplant is roasting and the tomato sauce simmers, you'll make the topping sauce. It's a simple combination of reduced heavy cream and a generous handful of both Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheeses. The cheeses melt into the thickened cream creating a silky and incredibly flavorful gratin topping.
Once the eggplant is roasted and the sauces are ready, it's easy to put the whole thing together. Just layer the eggplant and tomato sauce in a gratin or casserole dish. Top with the luscious cheese sauce and pop the whole thing in the oven till it's bubbly and golden. Serve in shallow bowls with some crusty bread (to mop up the fabulous sauce!) and a simple green salad.
It will be a meal to remember!
Buying and cooking eggplant
- When purchasing eggplants, look for ones with smooth, shiny, taut skin that are uniform in color and heavy for their size. Small and medium-size eggplants tend to be less bitter and their skin is thin and tender. Pass by the ones that have bruising and tan patches.
- Eggplants will keep well for several days in the refrigerator.
- Eggplant is also called aubergine and is part of the nightshade family. Potatoes and tomatoes also belong to this grouping of vegetables. There have been some claims that raw eggplant is poisonous. Raw eggplant does contain the toxin, solanine. It's generally not harmful when eaten in reasonable amounts, although some people can be sensitive to it and experience gastrointestinal discomfort.
- Eggplant is high in fiber and a good source of vitamin B1, copper, manganese, vitamin B6, niacin, potassium, folate and vitamin K.
- When cooking eggplant, it has a tendency to absorb a lot of fat. That's why in the instructions, I write to "brush tops of eggplant slices lightly and quickly with olive oil." If you linger, while brushing the slices will "suck in" as much oil as they can. It's pretty crazy!
Want to plan a special meal that everyone will love? This Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin will bring LOTS of rave reviews, sighs and probably a few moans of delight!
Café Tips for making this Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin
- The perfect pan to cook and present this dish is an au gratin pan. Au gratin pans can be round, oval or rectangular and are usually about an inch and a half to two inches deep. They come in enamel cast iron, stainless steel, copper, ceramic or glass. There are lots of options. If you don't have an au gratin pan, no problem, you can make this dish in a cast iron or stainless steel oven-safe skillet or a casserole dish. Just make sure it's not too deep.
- Thid Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin recipe calls for fire-roasted tomatoes. These can be found at most larger grocery stores with the other canned tomatoes. They have a wonderful flavor and a deep red color. If you can't find fire-roasted tomatoes, regular diced canned tomatoes will be fine.
- Leftovers are delicious. They can be warmed up in the oven or in the microwave. The flavors almost get better, if that's possible!
- I love to serve these Artisan Dinner Rolls, this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread or our No Knead Pull-Apart Brioche Bread with our eggplant gratin. The rolls and both breads can be made ahead and frozen. Take them out of the freezer a few hours before dinner and warm in a 300˚F oven for 10-15 minutes. They're perfect to sop up the wonderful sauce, no butter needed!
- Be sure to drain any excess grease after cooking the Italian sausage. Italian sausage can vary greatly in fat content. Sometimes there will be minimal grease after cooking and sometimes you'll find you have to drain a lot off. I just tip my pan to one side, push the sausage to the high size and let the grease drain down. Then I remove it with a spoon, a turkey baster or with crumpled paper towels.
- Give the gratin 15 minutes to sit after baking and before serving. The juices will thicken a bit, helping the gratin to hold its shape better when served/
Thought for the day:
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vine.
Though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no crops.
Though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakuk 3:17-18
What we're listening to for inspiration:
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Eggplant and Italian Sausage Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant, sliced in ½-inch thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted canned tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces grated parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ËšF. Line two sheet pans with foil for easy cleanup. Brush foil generously with extra virgin olive oil. Arrange eggplant slices in even layers on prepared pans. Brush tops of eggplant slices lightly and quickly with olive oil. Work quickly as eggplant likes to absorb lots of oil. You just want to lightly coat the surface. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate pans and bake another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside
- While eggplant is roasting, make the meat sauce and parmesan sauce. For the meat sauce, heat a medium-large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until lightly browned. Break the sausage up with a metal spatula and stir occasionally, as it cooks.
- Drain excess grease and reduce heat to low. Add Italian seasoning and garlic and cook, stirring continually for 2 more minutes to soften the garlic and let the spices bloom.
- Add fire-roasted tomatoes to the pot and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add fresh basil and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
- For the parmesan sauce, pour 1 cup heavy cream into a medium-size saucepan. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat and continue to cook, maintaining a medium-low simmer, until reduced approximately in half. This will take about 10 minutes. Add Parmesan and mozzarella. Stir over low heat, until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.
- To assemble gratin, lightly grease a low enameled cast iron pan, gratin pan or low casserole. Arrange half of the eggplant in the pan. Spoon about ½ of the meat sauce over the eggplant and then repeat layers.
- Stir the Parmesan sauce well and pour over the top of the eggplant and sauce. You can leave some of the eggplant mixture showing, if desired.
- Reduce temperature to 350ËšF and bake gratin until bubbly and beginning to turn golden in spots, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread.
Nutrition
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I’ve made this dish many times and I love it, but I’ve never been able to get the fresh mozzarella to melt in the sauce so that it’s smooth. What’s the secret?
Hi Rose, so happy you've enjoyed this dish. Fresh mozzarella can be a little tricky when it comes to melting it in a sauce. I like to grate it first, then use very low heat and stir till it's melted. Hope that helps!
I made this for dinner tonight and it has amazing flavor. Serve with French Bistro salad and crusty bread. Lots of compliments. Thank you Chris for sharing!
Gayle
Hi Gayle, Thank you for the wonderful review and for sharing your serving recommendations! So glad to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe - thanks for letting us know!
Absolutely delicious and really simple to prepare!
Thanks for the excellent review, Tanya! It's great to hear how well this recipe turned out for you - we appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
This looks delicious and I definitely want to try and make it but i have a question on the au gratin pan. Mine are mini and i assume the one you made it in is not. In searching for a new one there seem to be many different sizes. Can you give me the approximate measurements of the one you used so I can purchase a new one? Thank you
Hi Donna, the pan I use for this recipe is an oval pan that's 12x8 inches and 2 inches deep. Hope that helps!
I am excited to try this recipe. Is there a metric option for the ingredients?
Thanks for all your amazing recipes, Chris, and for your beautiful photography, Scott.
Hi Leslie, thanks so much for your kind, encouraging words! I have added the metric conversion. Thanks for letting me know that it wasn't there!
Do you need to pre-treat the eggplant to cut down on bitterness; i.e. salt and press the liquid out of it?
Hi Debi, I have never done that and the recipe comes out great.
Made this for the second time tonight. My husband and I love it! I only had two cans of tomatoes so I used a can of tomato sauce too. I let it simmer about 30 minutes and it was thick and rich. The Parmesan sauce is amazing! The cook (me) gets to scrape the sauce pan after pouring it on the eggplant! So good! The recipe does take a bit of time but it is worth every minute. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Susan!
I love eggplant the dish was very good I served it as a dip for a party with slices of toasted baguettes and crackers everyone welcomed the dish. Will make again.
Thanks for the great recipe.
Have a great Thanksgivin
I love eggplant the dish was very good I served it as a dip for a party with slices of toasted baguettes and crackers everyone welcomed the dish. Will make again.
Thanks for the great recipe.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
Sandra
Thank you for the review, Sandra!
I couldn’t decide if this was a side dish or an entree. I sounded very much like Pasta alla Norma. I chose to serve it atop pasta, since it seemed quite sloppy and loose. It was very filling and tasty, but I’m not sure I’d make it again as it’s just two of us. I did doctor the sauce a bit by adding a 1/2 can of tomato paste, crushed fennel seeds, and dried basil for a boost of flavor.
Thanks for your review Carrie. We love to serve this dish with crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices!
I have made this multiple times with rave reviews each time. This is a hit with people who don’t like eggplant and people who don’t like sausage. You don’t have to peel the eggplant. You will hardly notice it.
Baking the eggplant instead of breading and frying is also genius. There is absolutely no reason to change one thing in this recipe. It’s perfect.
Thank you for the review, Cici! So glad you enjoyed this!
LOVE this sauce!! Can I make just the sauce (not a fan of eggplant) a day ahead and reheat the next day in a low oven?
Hi Pam, that will work! You could also add some pasta to it instead of eggplant.
Hi, guys
I made this meal tonight. It was delicious, but very watery. I used tin diced tomatoes. Could this have been the problem?
Regards,
Leslie
Hi Leslie, I don't think it was the tomatoes, I think you just needed to cook the sauce a little longer.
Making this for a Christmas buffet. For convenience in serving can I cube & roast the eggplant instead of slicing?
Hi Deb, yes, that will work!
I make this all the time! It's rich decadent and amazing!! The flavors are so powerful, you can't stop eating!
10 Stars!!
Awesome! Thank you for the review, Linnea!
Wow, this is a fabulous eggplant dish!!! We love eggplant Parmesan, but this is even better!! It’s lighter and the flavors are fantastic!!! Good enough for a dinner party!!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your review, D!
Hi Scott and Chris,I just want to tell you that I LOVE this recipe! I have never posted comments on recipes, but since I am making it for the second time in 2 weeks, I thought I should write to say how good it is. I even wrote the recipe for a friend at work after raving about it and her wanting to make this dish. I made it as posted, but did make some extra white sauce. (I love cheese!) Turned out amazing! I roasted the eggplant in the morning since we are in another 90's + heat wave, then finished it off at dinner time. Besides being delicious, the dish comes together quite simply! Thank you
Awesome! Thank you for the review, Mary!
I made this a few days ago, followed the recipe exactly, and Hubs and I loved it!
Wonderful! Thanks for the review, Christi!
These simple ingredients make a lovely meal!
I made this twice in the past month to two different sets of guests and everyone raves about how delicious eggplant can be.
Wonderful! Thanks for the review, Daniel!
A question about making this in advance...Do I just assemble it the day before and then bake the day of, or should I bake it the day before and reheat it the day of? Thanks!
Hi Jennie, you can actually do either. If you have time, I think it's good to bake it the day of and then give it time to rest before serving. But if you're pinched for time, it also works to bake it ahead then just warm it before serving.
How does this dish do if you make ahead and freeze it? It seems like a wonderful Christmas side but I love to have all my food done ahead of time to just heat up. Wondering if you’ve tried making it in advance and freezing?
Hi Colleen, yes, you can freeze this. I would bake it first and then freeze it.
Hi Chris. We love so many of your recipes! A question about this one is can I make it without sausage (not a fan)? Maybe substitute ground beef or just leave the meat out altogether? Thanks
Hi Sue, thanks for your kind words.
Regarding your question, yes, you could make this with ground beef or without any meat.
Very difficult recipe to follow given all the pop up ads. But even after persevering only average recipe. Lots of other superior eggplant Parmesan recipes out there with no annoying ads.
So sorry you didn’t enjoy this, Pam. So many others have loved it.
Regarding the ads, it is the way we can offer well tested recipes to our readers for free. And you can always use the “print” page for an ad-free recipe.
My friend made this for me while I was recovering from surgery and it was sooo delicious. She gave me the recipe and I plan on making it soon. My question is what size au gratin pan does this recipe call for?
Hi, my pan holds 2 quarts.
This is my fourth time making this recipe so I thought I should leave a review! Absolutely delicious every time (and one time I made it with Impossible Sausage for vegetarian guests). I usually serve over pasta, and get some leftovers out of it.
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Kerry!
I made this with four small eggplant which I had just picked from the garden. I also didn’t have mild Italian sausage, so I use the hot Italian sausage. This recipe is a winner! It looked beautiful and tasted even better. The heavy cream and the cheese sauce makes all the difference and is worth taking the time to make it.
Awesome! Thanks for your review, Robin!
I made this last night for a dinner party. It was outrageously delicious. My dinner guests raved about it. What a beautiful presentation, as well. I placed pasta on an indivual plate and spooned the eggplant sausage casserole over it. It was a hearty and very satisfying meal. I will be making this over and over again. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Thanks so much for your review, JoAnn! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Nanci, you could definitely use the Japanese eggplant and ground sausage is great!
Wanting to make this but 2 questions: can I use the small Japanese eggplant? and the ground Italian sausage, or is best to buy and use the ones in casings? Thanks
I've never cooked eggplant . However, I have heard brining eggplant is a must.
Do I need to brine the eggplant before I prepare this recipe?
Nope, absolutely not needed for this recipe!
This was delicious! And accompanied with a homemade sourdough bread, even better! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Jasmine!
Hi! Love this recipe. Regarding the nutritional information, what is the serving size or is the serving size for the entire dish? Thanks!
Hi Lindsey, so glad you love this recipe! The nutrition info is based on serving 8 people.
Hello, this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! It’s just me so I’m wondering if the recipe can be halved. What do you think?
Thanks!
Yes, you can do that, Sheppard. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious and easy! Thanks
Awesome! Thanks, Aileen!
Do you peel your eggplant for this recipe. I have found eggplant skin to be a little bitter. Think I'll plan a dinner party as soon as the weather cools down, and make this dish. Sounds fabulous
Hi DoLee, I do not peel the eggplant for the dish. Enjoy!
Made this and loved it. I was wondering if you could put a link to the dish you baked yours in. I think that would be beautiful to serve it in.
So happy you enjoyed it, Mary!
Regarding the pan, it was from Williams Sonoma but I looked and, sadly, it looks like they don't carry it anymore. I have had my eye on this pan though and it would be perfect for this eggplant dish: https://amzn.to/3CTsrtD
If you prepare this dish a day in advance do you bake it the same day and reheat the next day, or prepare and refrigerate and bake the day of?
Thank you!
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, you could do it either way but I usually make it and then bake it right before serving.
This was amazing! Had to use half and half…..next time I’ll use full cream. This was so easy. It’s made a huge dish and we do love leftovers! Can’t wait! Hubby has said twice during dinner how much he loves it. Big thumbs up!
Can I make this ahead of time (like early in the day) and just bake later? I love things I can make ahead of time when we have guests over.
Hi Cindy, so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your review.
Regarding your question, you can definitely make this early in the day and bake it later. You could even prepare it a day in advance.
If you prepare this dish a day in advance do you bake it the same day and reheat the next day, or prepare and refrigerate and bake the day of?
Thank you!
Stephanie
***** love eggplant and this is the best eggplant dish ever
Thanks, Cheryl! Glad you enjoyed this!
5 stars for sure
Best eggplant recipe that I have made so far. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your results!
Delicious and easy to make--I used turkey italian sausage and smoked mozzarella because that's what I had. My family loved it!
Thanks for letting us know, Shawna!
I made this dish last night for my son and I. Very delicious, I'm planning to make it again next week! Now I have another recipe for eggplant besides lasagne. Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Deborah!
Not only do I love the sound of this fab recipe, but I just LOVE LOVE LOVE THE BIBLE VERSE!!! I love the Lord and I’m proud that you have incorporated that here too!! Blessings to you and cannot wait to try this recipe!
Thanks, Charlene!đź’•
Have made this twice, and delicious each time. Love that it can be made ahead, frozen and ready for a dinner party.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Susan!
The taste of this gratin is delicious! But the sauce turned out very watery. I always salt and drain my eggplant so the moisture must have come from the sauces They were cooked and reduced. The fresh mozzarella has a high water content so I will use regular next time. Or make more of a morney sauce Thanks for posting this. Something different that my family did enjoy.
I have made this several times & I love it! I am bringing it to a dinner party this weekend. I will be out of town for several days prior, so I need to make it ahead of time. Do you suggest making all the components & putting it together the day of or making it & keeping in refrigerator or freezer for 3 days?
Hi Cici, you could do either but my preference would be to make the components in advance and put it together that day before the party. ENJOY!
one more question: I made the recipe and did indeed find it very flavorful and "make ahead" easy. Only one problem. The fresh mozzarella did clump and not melt in with the cream/parmesan mixture. While I spread the globs of mozzarella out over the top oa the pan, do you have any suggestions as to how this might be remedied. Use plain old shredded mozzarella? Or just love the clumps and call it part of the character of the recipe?
Hi Barbara, It may just be that some fresh mozzarella doesn't melt well although I haven't run into that. You could definitely use the same amount of whole milk mozzarella in this recipe though.
question--you do not indicate if the canned fire roasted tomatoes should be drained--or does one use the entire can, juice and all?
Hi Barbara, don't drain them. Use the whole can. Hope you enjoy it!
What size is the gratin pan that you used? I clicked on the Amazon link but there are tons of sizes. I really like the one that you use.
HI Bonnie, I use a gratin made by Williams Sonoma but it is no longer available. This one is similar: https://amzn.to/3EPdxCy
Absolutely delicious. Took a bit longer for the sauce to thicken, but worth the wait.
Thanks, Elinore!
We used over grown aubergine-sized pair of zucchini squashes and made very little changes to your recipe. It is very good. We are lactose intolerant and it's hard to find lactose free cream so we made a couple of changes. We simmered lactose free half and half and added 2 tsp. of cornstarch in a slurry, then used the parmesan and substituted havarti cheese for the mozzarella. My kids' guts tolerate the more aged cheese better. It smelled good, it looked good, it tastes good and I made the wide width zucchini into something better for us than zucchini bread. It's been a couple of months but I wanted to remember to post this review and save the next gardener's wife handed large zucchini. Just seed them and proceed as directed. Delish.
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Kelli!
I made your wonderful eggplant and Italian sausage. My question is may I freeze the entire meal after is has been completely cooked?
Yes, you can, Natalie.
I have a question and a comment. I made this tonight and we both enjoyed it. My question and comment concerns the white sauce. I knew from past experience that it takes quite awhile to reduce one cup of cream by half. At 10 minutes it had reduced by 1/4th so I had to double the time to 20. Then when I put the fresh mozzarella balls in the cream, they melted into a string goop. They did not melt smoothly at all but more like stringy mozzarella on a pizza and rather clumpy. I got it as smooth as I could before pouring. Is this normal? I wondered if using processed mozzarella would work better than fresh in terms of melting. Also I felt there could have been more sauce. But overall it was a tasty dish.
I think I found tHe reason. Fresh mozzarella has a high moisture content and will not melt easily. So a low moisture mozzarella is key! I will try again using that type. Here was an interesting article on the difference and which do best
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-pizza-lab-the-best-low-moisture-mozzarella-for-pizzas
Hi Nancy, I'm not sure why that happened, I'm sorry you had trouble. I have used fresh mozzarella with great results as have other but, honestly, either will work.
Regarding the cream, it all depends on how much heat you use. Mine took 10 minutes but if your heat is lower, it can take longer. I'm happy you enjoyed it overall.
I love your recipes especially the salad ones. With one like this, it would be very helpful to give the approximate weight of the eggplants.
Really don't know how much "2 medium" eggplants is. Thanks for your hwlp.
Thanks, Carole, so happy you've enjoyed our recipes! Regarding your question, a medium-size eggplant would be between a pound to a pound and a half.
Fabulous! Was a huge hit! Thank you.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Judith!
Looks delicious. Could I make this ahead and freeze it. If so, should it be frozen before or after cooking.
Thanks.
Sheila
Yes, you can do that, Sheila. I would bake it first and then freeze it.