Stuffed Eggplant
The most delicious eggplant and meat stuffing because of all those flavorful spices.
Confession: I’ve never been a fan of stuffed peppers. Its no coincidence I’m making these on team eggplant. These are so extra in every way, and will provide you with some incredibly yummy feels.
The secret to this recipe lies in the spices. They are on the middle eastern side of the spice spectrum. Really delicious combination of cinnamon, cumin, paprika and coriander. Truly magnificent.
You can use ground lamb, ground beef, ground turkey or sweet Italian sausage. All options will undoubtedly come out delectable.
For me this is a one stop meal, no need to add anything to your table. Maybe a starch like rice if you’re really hungry.
Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 onion, fine chop
- 1 red bell pepper, fine chop
- 1 jalapeño, fine chop
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground lamb (or any ground meat)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan (divided)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (divided)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, cinnamon, cumin and coriander.
Eggplants:
- Slice your eggplants in half lengthwise. Carve and score each half so that you can scoop out the eggplant in chunks and leave a 1 inch border; enough inside so that it can hold its shape when baked. Reserve the chunks.
- Drizzle the inside of each half with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the seasonings mixture on each. Turn them flesh side down and roast for 22-25 minutes.
Stuffing:
- Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a deep skillet and cook the onion for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the bell pepper and jalapeño and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the eggplant and another tbs or two of olive oil. Season with 1/3 of the spice mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 4 minutes or until the eggplant is tender, stirring occasionaly. Remove the mixture from the pan to a large bowl.
- Add 1 tbs olive oil and cook your ground meat, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Use the remaining 1/3 of the spices and salt and pepper to season to taste. Cook until browned then transfer to the large bowl with the veggies. Add 3/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and the parsley to the bowl and toss to combine. Stuff your eggplant halves with this mixture evenly.
- Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and top each eggplant. Bake for 15-20 minutes – tops should be golden brown.
Looking for more?
hi do u have nutritional infor for this