Dianne'S Eggplant Parmesan - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb eggplant
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, ground
1 teaspoon salt
1 jar traditional spaghetti sauce (recipe calls for a medium jar)
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preparation

Peel and thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Place a colander in a shallow pan. Place the eggplant slices in the colander and place a similar size and shaped bowl on top of the slices to press. Allow the slices to drain for 45 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the meat until no longer pink (drain fat). Add the onion, bell pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper; stir and continue to cook until the onion and pepper are tender. Add the spaghetti sauce and brown sugar. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about 1/2 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer eggplant slices on top of the sauce and sprinkle with both cheeses. Repeat until all the sauce and eggplant have been used, ending with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle the top layer generously with the remaining cheese. Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until the cheese is golden brown.