This low carb Keto Eggplant Lasagna is the best! When I first started eating the Keto way I had said that I wouldn’t be good at making Keto dinners or low carb meals that were Keto. But friends, that sure didn’t last long. I am off and making low carb Keto recipes that you can enjoy and don’t have many substitutions from what you’d normally make if you weren’t on a high fat, low carb, no sugar diet. I love that!
Living my best life by cutting out sugar. Let me help you!
Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna
I’m still on the Keto train, and believe it or not (this hopefully won’t be hard to believe!) but I’m off and running making delicious low carb recipes that are Keto friendly. To be honest when I started this way of eating I was researching it because I wanted to cut sugar (and therefore carbohydrates) out of my diet. There are too many people that have been affected by cancer on both sides of my family that I knew I wanted to be proactive. But, I didn’t know how.
After spending around two hours researching what I could and couldn’t eat on Keto I decided that this way of eating might just be for me. Here’s a great description of Keto:
“When we eat a lot of carbohydrates, the body produces both insulin and glucose. The body feeds on the glucose to produce energy and stores fat, rather than burning it. With Keto, you can lose weight, improve your overall health, and enrich yourself in both body and mind.”
BINGO! I’ll take two – Ha! This sounds just like what I was looking for so off I went and I’m 15 days in and have a great hold on everything. It’s really not too hard to manage once you’ve got a handle on what will fly … and what won’t.
A few tips if you’re just starting out making Keto work for you:
Start slow. When my husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis I read somewhere that going Gluten Free might b able to help him. Before we even met.with.the.neurologist, I bought over $200 worth of gluten free food. Ugh. We ate maybe 50% off it. What a mistake.
When you start on a Keto diet, get a few things here and there like some snacks and maybe a meal or two, and as you gather Keto recipes and low carb recipes then start adding the low carb variations to your cart. If you’re not using Walmart Grocery pickup, sign up now here – this is the best time-saving tip ever, I promise!
Devote time to learning.
Some of the best resources I found helpful while learning more were:
- Vegetables to Eat on Keto
- What are Macros?
- Macro Calculator
- What is the Ketogenic Diet and Why is it Helpful?
- (Another) Macro Calculator
- How to Lose Weight on a Ketogenic Diet
- 16 Foods to Eat on the Ketogenic Diet
- Keto Flour Substitutions
Get ready to feel better.
It goes without saying that if you take the ingredients out of your diet that cause bloating and exhaustion, you’re going to feel better, right? So, that’s exactly what will happen. But if you know that this will stress your body and give you anxiety, show yourself some grace and do the best you can.
So you thought you were coming here for an eggplant lasagna recipe, right? Ha! You did. I just got sidetracked. Let’s get back on track. 🙂
Ingredients for Low Carb Lasagna with Eggplant (No Noodles!)
This low carb Keto Eggplant Lasagna is the best! This is the most flavorful low carb Keto dinner you can make, in my own humble opinion – it’s absolutely delicious!
- 1 eggplant (18 thin vertical slices of eggplant)
- 1 1/2 cups Victoria Pasta Sauce Slow Cooked Arrabbiata (or other low carb spaghetti sauce)
- 1 cup Italian sausage (you can use ground beef for less kick, but I prefer Italian sausage)
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups mozzarella (divided)
- 2 cups 4% milk-fat large curd cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
** Be careful to check labels as store brands are often packed with unnecessary carbs and sugars.
Using two larger bowls, combine eggs, two cups of mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese in one bowl and browned meat and sauce in the other. Note that I love using Victoria Pasta Sauce Slow Cooked Arrabbiata Sauce that I get at Walmart (sign up for free Walmart Grocery pickup here)
Prepare the eggplant by cutting the ends off, setting the eggplant vertical and using a knife to slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices the long way. Make as many slices as you can. Lay paper towels down on a cutting board, lay out eggplant slices and sprinkle each slice with salt to pull water out of eggplant pieces. After 30 minutes, press eggplant slices with paper towels to pull out more liquid. The eggplant will be very thin.
To assemble use a 9×7 inch pan, spread about1/3 of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place enough eggplant slices on top to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread with ⅓ of the cottage cheese mixture. Spoon 1/3 meat sauce over cheese mixture. Repeat layering two more times to create three complete layers. To finish, place a final layer of eggplant, topped any leftover of meat sauce to cover the eggplant. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees, covered for 45 minutes. Take foil off and bake 15 more minutes. If the eggplant lasagna is too watery for your taste, broil for 5-7 minutes.
Let the low carb lasagna with eggplant sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. It will soak up some of the liquid, but not all likely. Use a slotted spatula to serve lasagna for the excess to run through slots.
Leftovers will be more solid.
Enjoy!
** If the idea of lasagna that is too watery bothers you, you may decide to cut thinker pieces and roast the eggplant in the oven prior to cooking. You’ll bake the eggplant pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This step is not necessary and I don’t do it, but you sure can if you have the time.
What is the difference between eggplant and lasagna noodles?
Well, besides the obvious difference between eggplant and lasagna noodles (lasagna noodles are pasta and very high carb) you’ll notice a freshness in the eggplant lasagna without noodles that you don’t find in the regular traditional lasagna recipe.
Is eggplant low carb?
Eggplant isn’t necessarily “low carb” but it has a lot of fiber, which your body needs. Remember to not go so nuts that you deprive your body of necessary nutrients. Some veggies mixed in here and there are a great idea.
Can eggplant lasagna be frozen?
I am a HUGE fan of freezing anything and everything, especially meals like this that are a special recipe. There’s nothing worse than being caught without any Keto approved food when you’re on the Keto diet. I am team freeze eggplant lasagna. Just make sure to pack it tightly and press any additional air out of the container and use freezer baggies. I love these. Or, you could invest in a FoodSaver.
Using two larger bowls, combine eggs, two cups of mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese in one bowl and browned meat and sauce in the other. Note that I love using Victoria Pasta Sauce Slow Cooked Arrabbiata Sauce that I get at Walmart (sign up for free Walmart Grocery pickup here)
Prepare the eggplant by cutting the ends off, setting the eggplant vertical and using a knife to slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices the long way. Make as many slices as you can. Lay paper towels down on a cutting board, lay out eggplant slices and sprinkle each slice with salt to pull water out of eggplant pieces. After 30 minutes, press eggplant slices with paper towels to pull out more liquid. The eggplant will be very thin.
To assemble use a 9×7 inch pan, spread about1/3 of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place enough eggplant slices on top to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread with ⅓ of the cottage cheese mixture. Spoon 1/3 meat sauce over cheese mixture. Repeat layering two more times to create three complete layers. To finish, place a final layer of eggplant, topped any leftover of meat sauce to cover the eggplant. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees, covered for 45 minutes. Take foil off and bake 15 more minutes. If the eggplant lasagna is too watery for your taste, broil for 5-7 minutes.
Let the low carb lasagna with eggplant sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. It will soak up some of the liquid, but not all likely. Use a slotted spatula to serve lasagna for the excess to run through slots.
Leftovers will be more solid.
Enjoy!
** If the idea of lasagna that is too watery bothers you, you may decide to cut thinker pieces and roast the eggplant in the oven prior to cooking. You’ll bake the eggplant pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This step is not necessary and I don’t do it, but you sure can if you have the time.
Low Carb Lasagna with Eggplant (No Noodles!)
This low carb Keto Eggplant Lasagna is the best! This is the most flavorful low carb Keto dinner you can make, in my own humble opinion - it's absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant 18 thin vertical slices of eggplant
- 1 1/2 cups Victoria Pasta Sauce Slow Cooked Arrabbiata or other low carb spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup Italian sausage you can use ground beef for less kick, but I prefer Italian sausage
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups mozzarella divided
- 2 cups 4% milk-fat large curd cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
-
Using two larger bowls, combine eggs, two cups of mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese in one bowl and browned meat and sauce in the other. Note that I love using Victoria Pasta Sauce Slow Cooked Arrabbiata Sauce that I get at Walmart (sign up for free Walmart Grocery pickup here)
-
Prepare the eggplant by cutting the ends off, setting the eggplant vertical and using a knife to slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices the long way. Make as many slices as you can. Lay paper towels down on a cutting board, lay out eggplant slices and sprinkle each slice with salt to pull water out of eggplant pieces. After 30 minutes, press eggplant slices with paper towels to pull out more liquid. The eggplant will be very thin.
-
To assemble use a 9x7 inch pan, spread about1/3 of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place enough eggplant slices on top to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread with ⅓ of the cottage cheese mixture. Spoon 1/3 meat sauce over cheese mixture. Repeat layering two more times to create three complete layers. To finish, place a final layer of eggplant, topped any leftover of meat sauce to cover the eggplant. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
-
Bake at 350 degrees, covered for 45 minutes. Take foil off and bake 15 more minutes. If the eggplant lasagna is too watery for your taste, broil for 5-7 minutes.
-
Let the low carb lasagna with eggplant sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. It will soak up some of the liquid, but not all likely. Use a slotted spatula to serve lasagna for the excess to run through slots.
-
Leftovers will be more solid.
-
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
** If the idea of lasagna that is too watery bothers you, you may decide to cut thinker pieces and roast the eggplant in the oven prior to cooking. You'll bake the eggplant pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This step is not necessary and I don't do it, but you sure can if you have the time.