You’re gonna love this old fashioned Southern eggplant casserole! It’s made with simple, all-natural ingredients and is always a favorite – even those naysayers of this purple veggie love this cheesy casserole.

Eggplant casserole in white baking dish.

This Wyatt’s Cafeteria copycat eggplant recipe is easy and pretty straight-forward and no, you don’t have to soak the it in salted water for six hours.

I usually serve this with fried catfish, but it pairs beautifully with meatloaf, turkey or baked spiral ham.

Why this recipe works

The herb-seasoned breadcrumbs contain a variety of Italian seasonings and spices, so there’s no need to use a bunch of seasonings.
This easy casserole dish is very economical and can be served as a side dish, or a main dish. In fact, it’s ideal for vegetarians!

Here’s what you need

This cheesy eggplant casserole recipe uses the following ingredients:

Eggplant – you’ll need about a one pound. Larger eggplants are usually around a pound in weight, but you can use a few small or medium eggplant as well
Salt – you’re gonna need to sprinkle salt over the peeled and cubed eggplant; I use kosher salt and use about 1 – 2 tablespoons for the soaking water
Butter – about two tablespoons to saute onions, celery and bell pepper and 1 tablespoon to butter the baking dish
Breadcrumbs – I recommend Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing; it comes in a bag and is usually on the aisle with the boxed potatoes at the grocery store
Eggs – 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Evaporated milk – for best results, use evaporated milk; you’ll soak the breadcrumbs in the milk; if you don’t have evaporated, use plain milk, 2% or whole
The Holy Trinity – celery, onion and green bell pepper; about 1/2 cup each
Diced pimento – the original Wyatt’s cafeteria eggplant casserole had diced pimentos in it; this adds a slight acidic flavor; if you don’t like pimemtos, you can omit them or substitute with chopped red bell pepper
Cheese – I recommend using a block sharp cheddar cheese and grate it yourself with a cheese grater or food processor
If you want to add a little Cajun or Creole flair to this hearty casserole, sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper

Ingredients for eggplant casserole on kitchen counter.

How to make Southern eggplant casserole

This recipe is pretty straightforward and simple for the home cook, but there are some prep steps you can do while the eggplant is soaking; this makes the recipe go faster:) Here’s an overview:

Cut the purple skin off; slice into 1/4″ inch rounds and cut the rounds into quarters; place on a paper towel and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and cover with another paper towel; let sit for at least 15 minutes
Meanwhile, dice the celery, green pepper and onion; lightly beat eggs and set aside
In a large mixing bowl, add breadcrumbs and combine with the evaporated milk; let this breadcrumb mixture sit for 10-15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are mushy
In a large skillet sauté onions, bell pepper and celery for 5 minutes; set aside
After the eggplant has rested in salt, brush off any excess salt and place in a pot of boiling water; cook uncovered on medium to medium high heat until it’s tender; once it’s is fork tender, drain in a colander and place the pieces in a small mixing bowl; use a fork and mash it up and drain any excess water.
Add the mashed eggplant, beaten eggs, sauteed vegetables (with the melted butter), diced pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and fresh ground black pepper to the large mixing bowl of breadcrumbs/milk; combine well
Spread the eggplant mixture into the prepared baking dish; top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese
Bake @ 350°F, uncovered, on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes until the cheesy top gets a nice golden brown; remove and let sit at room temperature for 5-8 minutes before serving

Southern Eggplant Casserole

Cheesy Southern Eggplant makes a great vegetarian side dish or entree.

5 from 6 votes

Print Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Soak time: 1

Total Time: 1 50

Yield: servings

Author: Anecia Hero

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant (1 large or 2 medium); See Recipe Notes
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup chopped celery
2¼ cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix See Recipe Notes
1 cup evaporated milk See Recipe Notes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large lightly beaten eggs
2 tablespoons drained, chopped pimento
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (1½ cups in casserole; ½ cup on top of casserole)

Instructions

Prep

Lightly butter (or use spray oil) a baking dish; set aside
In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs; set aside
2 large lightly beaten eggs
Cut purple skin off eggplant; cut into ¼"inch rounds then quarter the rounds; place on a paper towel and salt generously; place another paper towel on top
1 pound eggplant, 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
Meanwhile, pour the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix and evaporated milk into a big mixing bowl and combine well; set aside
2¼ cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix, 1 cup evaporated milk
Shred a block of cheese. You'll use ¾ of the cheese in the casserole and ¼ of the cheese for the topping; set aside
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (1½ cups in casserole; ½ cup on top of casserole)
Dice the onions, green bell pepper and celery; drain the pimentos and set aside
¼ cup chopped yellow onion, ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper, ¼ cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons drained, chopped pimento

Cook

Heat a large skillet on medium heat; add butter; once butter melts, add in chopped onions, bell peppers and celery; saute for 5 minutes; set aside
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Once the eggplant has rested, pat dry and remove any excess salt; place eggplant into a large stockpot with water. Bring heat to medium high and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until it is fork tender; then drain it in a colander and transfer to a small bowl; mash it up with a fork and drain

Assemble

Add mashed eggplant, sauteed vegetables and remaining melted butter to the breadcrumb/eggplant mixture; add in the lightly beaten eggs, diced pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and ¾ of the shredded cheese; combine well and spoon into prepared baking dish
2 large lightly beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons drained, chopped pimento, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Smooth the eggplant mixture and top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese; bake in a 350°F oven, uncovered, on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes
When done, allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes then serve and enjoy!

Notes

Baking Dish

This recipe makes a thin casserole (about 1/2″ inch tall) if you cook it in a 9 x 13 baking dish and serves 12 big spoonfuls. (If you’re taking this to a potluck or feeding a large group, I highly recommend doubling the recipe.)

If you want a thicker (taller) casserole, double the recipe and put it in a 9 x 13 pan or put it in a smaller (8×8) baking dish.

If you put it in a smaller baking dish, you won’t get 12 servings; you’ll get more like 6 big spoonfuls.

Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning Mix

If you can’t find this, you can use crushed saltines or breadcrumbs. If you use crushed saltines or plain breadcrumbs, add in 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasonings to the eggplant mixture.

If you use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, you don’t need to add any Italian seasonings.

Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk is rich than plain milk because it has the water cooked out of it; you can use plain milk if that’s all you have; whole milk is best, but 2% will work in a pinch.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1servingCalories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 12gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 824mgPotassium: 318mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 465IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 243mgIron: 2mg

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Recipe tips

This makes a thin casserole when you bake it in a 9 x 13 baking dish. If you’re feeding a large group, I highly recommend doubling the recipe.
If you don’t have the herb seasoned stuffing mix, you can use crushed cracker crumbs (or plain bread crumbs) and add a tablespoon of dry italian seasoning
This is a thin casserole that serves about 12 big spoon sized servings; I used a 9 x 13 baking dish and the casserole cooks down to about 1/2 ” inch thick; if you want a “fluffier” or taller casserole, either make it in a smaller baking dish or double the recipe

You’ll find this Southern eggplant casserole served at potlucks from Texas to south Louisiana! It’s a perfect side dish and pairs beautifully with pan fried pork chops, meatloaf or fried catfish! It’s also a very satisfying vegetarian dinner when paired with a simple side salad.

This eggplant dish is also served at Thanksgiving dinner or Easter Sunday because it pairs beautifully with turkey and ham.

Storage and reheating

You can make this copycat Wyatt’s Cafeteria eggplant casserole in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place any leftovers an airtight container. The best way to reheat leftovers is in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish; cover with a paper towel and reheat for a few minutes until it’s warm throughout.

One Comment

Karen Kellett says:

July 2, 2024 at 5:19 pm

I can’t begin to thank you enough for this recipe! I’ve looked for this recipe for over fifty years! My mom and I used to eat at Wyatt’s Cafeteria in a neighboring town and I always got the Eggplant Casserole. They eventually closed the restaurant and I’ve craved it ever since. I’m really excited to make this. Thank you so much for posting this! Sincerely Karen Kellett