Eggplant and Shrimp Casserole

Eggplant with Shrimp (or Ground Meat) 1 lb shrimp (after peeling & devaining) or ***(1 lb hamburger) 4 medium eggplants (firm & shinny) ¼ cp veg. oil 1 med onion chopped fine (at least a generous cup) 2 or 3 toes garlic minced ½ cp. bell pepper (chopped fine) ½ cp celery (chopped fine) 1 Tbl. parsley -minced 2 Tbls. Green Onion-minced ¼ cp Italian bread crumbs Additional breadcrumbs for topping 2 Tbls. butter (Optional) Salt to taste (start with about ¼ teaspoon) ¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s (creole seasoning) ¼ teaspoon of Old Bay or Chesapeake seafood seasoning ¼ to ½ teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper

Peel and clean shrimp (if large cut in half or smaller) *** If using Hamburger, brown the meat then remove and pour off all of the grease Peel eggplant and chop into small pieces. Boil in lightly salted water until very soft. Drain well in colander. In heavy pot (not iron) sauté onions in oil until soft but not brown. Add garlic, celery & bell pepper & cook additional 3 minutes. Add shrimp and sprinkle with salt, pepper, Tony’s & seafood seasonings. Mix well and cook until shrimp are pink, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add eggplant and mix well. Continue cooking until well blended. (5 min) Add bread crumbs and parsley and green onions. Adjust seasonings if necessary. If mixture is too watery add a little more breadcrumbs. Put into casserole top with additional breadcrumbs dot with butter. This may be set aside and baked later. (350 until heated through)