(My Very First Company Meal as a Young Bride)

1 lb Ground Beef Round
6 Italian Mild Pork Sausages – removed from casing
3 Tbs. Butter
3 Onions – chopped
2 C. Tomato Puree
1/2 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 C. Chopped Yellow or Orange Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
Pinch of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Clove Garlic – crushed
2 Eggplants – large, peeled and sliced thin
2 Eggs – beaten
2/3-1 C. Vegetable Oil
1/2-3/4 Lb Mozzarelle

In a skillet sauté the beef in butter. Add onions and cook until golden. Then add the tomato puree, basil oregano, yellow or orange pepper, salt, garlic and pepper. Remove from heat. In another skillet sauté sausage meat until browned. Peel and slice the eggplant, thin. Dip slices into eggs and sauce in hot oil until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Arrange 1/3 of the meat sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Then top with 1/3 of the sausage meat. Repeat until all is used ending with mozzarella on top. Bake at 350° for app. one hour. 

NOTE: If you prefer you can brown sausage links whole and then slice and add over the mozzarella as you would the sausage meat. We married in June and immediately after returning from our Bermuda honeymoon we moved to Maryland. (For a young girl born and raised in the heart of NYC this was traumatic and a real eye-opener. I felt like I was in the deep south!) This was my very first attempt, as a young bride, at cooking for company when we lived in Maryland, and it always made a hit, so I stuck with it. It’s still a favorite so many years later.

Some crusty Italian bread and a salad and it’s a great meal.

BUON MANGIATA!