This slow cooker aubergine and mozzarella bake is a delicious vegetarian slow cooker option with roasted aubergine, courgette and pepper slices baked with mozzarella pearls.
If you are in the USA you might well call this a crockpot eggplant mozzarella casserole with zucchini and bell peppers! Whatever you call it this is a tasty dish that’s for sure.
Eating more vegetables and cutting out the meat from some meals is a great way to cut back, eat on a lower budget and increase your intake of vitamins and other good things all in one go!
As is customary in January, I am trying to eat lighter meals at the moment, and this dish is one I recently developed for the slow cooker. It adds plenty of vegetables into your diet but is still really filling and satisfying.
Packed with roasted vegetables cooked with only a tiny bit of oil, this roasted aubergine, courgette and pepper bake is full of goodness and flavours.
I don’t know about you but I find it hard to eat cold food like salads in the winter, preferring a warming bowl of soup or stew. So a hot veggie bake like this is perfect, especially served with crusty bread or a wholemeal roll on the side.
This is like a lightened version of aubergine parmigiana for the slow cooker, but with a lot less oil and cheese.
Have you made a vegetable bake in the slow cooker before? I find they work really well. My halloumi bake and Mediterranean chicken with roasted vegetables are other dishes along the same lines.
The roasted vegetables are layered up with an onion, garlic and tomato sauce, with mozzarella pearls on top of each layer.
There is just enough mozzarella without it being excessively cheesy – however if you aren’t watching the calories feel free to throw some more in!
Step by step
Here is your how-to on how to make a vegetable bake in the slow cooker!
Prepare your sauce first. To do this, combine diced red onion, crushed garlic, a tin of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper and oregano in a bowl.
Put half the sauce in the slow cooker pot.
Next layer up roasted vegetables in the slow cooker. I roast mine first in the oven briefly for that chargrilled texture.
Add mozzarella balls on top.
Next repeat using up the rest of the tomato sauce, roasted vegetables and mozzarella cheese pearls.
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
On serving, you’ll have a vegetable bake with tasty roast vegetables covered in cheese, so good!
Look out for more vegetarian recipes from me soon, I’m finding it a great way to cut the calories and save some pennies.
More aubergine recipes
I’ve gathered some fabulous aubergine recipes from fellow food bloggers to tempt your tastebuds:
- Tofu, aubergine and water chestnut stew from From Plate To Pen
- Roasted aubergine macaroni cheese from Kavey Eats
- Vegan aubergine ‘meatballs’ from Supergolden Bakes
- Aubergine chickpea bake from Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen
- Spicy aubergine tortilla wraps from Citrus Spice
- Aubergine pizza from Planet Veggie
- Baked breaded aubergine slices from Eats Amazing
Pin this recipe for later!
Slow Cooker Aubergine and Mozzarella Bake
Ingredients
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 aubergine (eggplant) sliced and roasted for 25 mins approx. in a tiny bit of oil
- 2 (bell) peppers sliced and roasted as above, I used one red and one yellow
- 3 large courgettes (zucchini) sliced and roasted as above
- 125 g mozzarella pearls
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First roast your sliced aubergine, peppers and courgettes for 25 minutes in a little oil. Allow to cool.
- Next, oil your slow cooker pot lightly to stop the cheese sticking.
- In a bowl mix the red onion, garlic, tin of tomatoes, salt and pepper and oregano to make the tomato sauce.
- Place half of the sauce in the base of the slow cooker pot.
- Top with slices of aubergine, peppers and courgette. Add half of the mozzarella pearls on top.
- Do another layer - the rest of the tomato sauce, a layer of courgette slices, with the rest of the aubergine and pepper slices on top. Add the rest of the mozzarella pearls and a sprinkle a little oregano on top.
- Cook on low for four to six hours.
I’m linking up with several challenges with this recipe:
- Meat Free Mondays from Tinned Tomatoes
- Credit Crunch Munch with Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All (hosting this month)
- Extra Veg with Fuss Free Flavours (hosting this month) and Utterly Scrummy Food for Families
- Slow Cooked Challenge which I host on alternate months with Farmersgirl Kitchen, who is hosting this month
Fuss Free Helen says
Great use of the slow cooker Lucy, and also it is nice to see a slow cooked veggie dish, I find when I cook aubergines they soak up oil like a sponge, and this is lovely and healthy.
Thanks for sharing with #ExtraVeg & #Creditcrunchmunch
fabfood4all says
I must try this as it look soo good! My daughter loves ratatouille so I know she would go crazy for this!
kellie anderson says
I have not eaten dinner yet and this is actually making my tummy growl! It was quiet until I saw this recipe. 🙂 Looks like healthy and really tasty use for a slow cooker. Yum xx
bakingqueen74 says
I wanted to show that a slow cooker isn’t just for meaty dishes, this worked really well. Glad it made you hungry too!
smonty153 says
This sounds absolutely delicious, Lucy! Love mozzarella! Look forward to seeing what more vegetarian recipes you come up with! 🙂
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Sarah! A new one coming up tomorrow you might like 🙂
nadiashealthykitchen says
Looks delicious! I love aubergine based dishes 🙂
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Nadia, thanks for visiting 🙂
gingey bites says
I love slow cooking, I need to do it more so will have to try this recipe!
Janice @FarmersgirlCook says
mmm that looks really tasty, love the addition of mozzarella
Monika says
Lucy, I love this aubergine bake, it’s exactly my type of veggie meal! I am considering finally buying a slow cooker and this might be one of the first few things I make 🙂
bakingqueen74 says
Glad to hear you like it Monika, do let me know if you do try it!
Michelle Utterlyscrummy says
I am going to try this very soon. Bubs has taken to having a nap at 5pm which means I’m stuck under a sleeping child instead of preparing dinner. I’m going to be using my slow cooker a lot from now on, because the meal basically cooks itself. You’ve SO many totally delicious slow cooker recipes! I’m going to have a long browse at your blog, and try not to drool on the keyboard. 😉
bakingqueen74 says
What an annoying time for a nap! Slow cooker does sound like the answer 🙂 Thanks Michelle, glad you like my recipes
Kaytee Vivienne says
I love my slow cooker and I’m always looking out for new recipes to try out on it! This looks pretty yummy so it’s next on my list 🙂
bakingqueen74 says
Marvellous stuff, thanks for visiting Kaytee
Rachel Vintage Folly says
I’m so glad I’ve found your blog. My husband bought a slow cooker a few months ago and it’s really changed the way we, well he, cooks. This will be a great resource however he and my daughter both hate aubergines 🙁 so I doubt we’ll be making this one. x
bakingqueen74 says
Great! Maybe not this one for you but hope you will find something you like on here 🙂