Eggplant Lasagna - Italian/greek Fusion

This lasagna is full of flavor with tomato sauce, béchamel sauce and cheese alternating with eggplant layers. A fusion of Greek and Italian tastes with a touch of Mexican spiciness.

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 jar storebought marinara sauce
1 lb ground beef or sausage or lamb or chicken or turkey (optional if vegetarian)
1 cup milk
1 ½ tbsp flour
1 ½ tbsp butter
2 cups shredded cheese
½ medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
½ cup mushroom (optional) - diced
½ cup green peppers (optional) - diced
1 tsp oregano (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper or any hot pepper (optional)
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup parsley

Directions

Slice eggplant lengthwise into approximate 1/2 cm thick slices.
Season with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 375F. Remove from oven and set aside when done.
Fry in oil onions, garlic and jalapeno peppers until slightly browned.
Add ground meat and fry until meat is cooked. (May leave out meat if prefer vegetarian lasagna. Double amounts of mushroom and green peppers instead)
Add mushrooms and green peppers.
Add oregano and marinara sauce and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
For white or bechamel sauce, melt butter in pan.
Add flour and stir for a few minutes.
Add milk and allowed to thicken. Stir constantly as it burns easily.
Add a half of parsley into white sauce. Set aside.
To set up lasagna, place some meat and white sauce at bottom layer, enough to cover bottom of baking pan.
Top with eggplant. Place more meat and white sauce on top of eggplant. Also layer on some shredded cheese.
Keep alternating eggplant, sauces and cheese until all out, making sure to end with cheese at the top.
Bake in 350F oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.
Garnish with parsley. Let sit for 10 minutes after lasagna comes out of oven to allow it out set.