Weeknight Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
I consider this Stuffed Eggplant Parm a lighter, easier version of the Italian classic. It's a dish you can manage in under 20 minutes of hands-on cooking time and is excellent served with crusty bread and a leafy salad on the side.
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces each)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken (or 2 cups cooked white beans)
- 2 cups bottled or homemade marinara sauce
- 2 cups coarsely grated sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian seasoned panko or breadcrumbs (or plain panko with 1 t Italian seasoning blend, 1/4 t garlic powder, a big pinch salt)
- Olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
-
Cut the stem off each eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the cut side of each eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and a dusting of freshly ground black pepper. Bake until the eggplant begins to appear juicy and is quite soft (you can slide the tip of a knife right in), about 1 hour.
-
While the eggplant bakes, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When the oil is hot, swirl it around the pan, then add the ground turkey. Cook until the turkey is done, stirring it regularly and breaking it into crumbles. Add the tomato sauce, stir well, and remove from heat. (If you want a little spice in your sauce, add a few pinches of red chili flakes).
-
When the eggplant is done, spoon the marinara sauce over each half. Sprinkle the Cheddar and Parmesan over the top, followed by the Italian breadcrumbs. Lightly spray the breadcrumbs with the olive oil cooking spray (no worries if you don't have oil spray it in your pantry).
-
Bake until the cheese melts and the topping begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. You can put it under the broiler at the very end to brown further, if desired.
-
Serve warm.