Preheat oven to 150°C.

In a large saucepan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil and fry the yellow onion and red onion until glassy, then add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the mince and break apart with a wooden spoon (try to get the mince quite fine, you don’t want big chunks), takes about 8 minutes or until the mince is cooked through and no pink bits remain. 

Pour in the can of tomato, tomato paste, fresh tomatoes, red pepper and stock. Gently simmer the mince sauce for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until nice and thick. 

While the mince is simmering: Oil and season a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, black pepper, mixed herbs and garlic powder. Place the eggplant slices on the sheet pan and rub both sides in the oil and seasoning. Bake for 12 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Once the sauce is thick and lovely, season with salt and pepper if needed, then spread a thin layer of the mince on the bottom of a large baking dish. Then add a layer of eggplant slices followed by a layer of grated cheese, then a thicker layer of mince, a layer of eggplant slices and finish it off with a layer of the remaining cheese. Grill (broil) at 250°C (482°F) for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Remove from the oven and allow the bake to cool for about 10 minutes, garnish with basil or parsley and serve with steamed broccoli, roast sweet potato or butternut squash, or a simple side salad.