I don’t remember how I got the idea to stuff eggplants, but I just wanted to try something creative with eggplants. I haven’t cooked with them in a while, so I was looking for something new. Add to that the requirement that it should be fairly easy to make, and the stuffed eggplant was born.
Personally, I was not a huge fan of the outside part of the eggplants. Perhaps they should have been cooked longer, or maybe I should have removed the skin first. But the insides were amazingly delicious and I will be making this again in the future.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- mozarella, diced
- olive oil
Directions
First, hollow out the eggplants, leaving a wall of about a quarter inch thick. I found the best method for this is to cut off the end with the stem, then start with a knife and cut a cylinder in the eggplant. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the cylinder and clean up the inside walls. Don’t worry about ruining the innards because they will be diced and cooked anyway.
Next, heat up a pan with some olive oil and fry the onions until they are translucent. Dice the eggplant innards while the onions are cooking, then add them and the red bell peppers to the pan. Feel free to add any other veggies, but be mindful of amounts. Although the cooked eggplants shrink and can accommodate the other ingredients, remember that this will eventually need to be stuffed into the hollowed eggplants.
When the peppers and eggplants are soft, add some diced cheese. I used mozzarella, but any cheese that melts well will do. I am not sure on the amount used, but estimate about the same volume as the diced peppers.
Don’t overcook the cheese and just mix all the ingredients together, softening the cheese slightly. Then add the mixture to the hollowed eggplants and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant shells are soft.
When the stuffed eggplants are cooked, take them out of the oven and slice to serve.
