This stuffed aubergine recipe perfectly combines minced pork, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and aubergine pulp, resulting in an amazing dinner. In this recipe, I was inspired by the eggplant moussaka that I used as a filling, resulting in a delicious dish with another appearance.
Table of Contents
Aubergines, or eggplants, are a basic ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine and beyond, often used in Romanian and Transylvanian cuisine. If in our country it is most often cooked in the form of salad or dip like grilled eggplant dip recipe, or roasted like Mediterranean roasted eggplant recipe, today we will cook a more complex option, thus resulting in the main course for lunch or dinner.
Let’s Begin With the Ingredients
We will first review the main ingredients of this stuffed aubergine recipe, noting that from this amount, I will feed three hungry people, or four normal portions will result.
I will use four medium-sized eggplants, half a kilogram of minced pork with low fat, one onion, and 200 g of sliced smoked bacon for even more flavour.
Over the dish, I will pour a sauce of 150 ml of single cream, and on top, I will put 150 g of grated cheddar cheese.
How to Prepare the Ingredients?
As you know, I like to prepare all the ingredients first, and I will do so now. I start with smoked bacon that is already sliced, so you have to cut these slices transversely into smaller pieces.
Next comes the onion, which is medium in size, which I chopped after cleaning it.
Another ingredient that I will use in the recipe is sun-dried tomatoes. I chose these instead of fresh tomatoes because they are more fragrant and leave less juice. I will use five pieces that you also cut smaller.
Another plant I like to use for flavouring is chives, which I chop finely and sprinkle on top.
I will grate the cheddar cheese beforehand; instead, you can use other types of cheese, even mozzarella or Grana Padano.
Because the stuffed eggplant at the end will be cooked in the oven, and to not be too dry, I will make a kind of sauce from 150 ml of single cream in which I will mix a tablespoon of tomato paste and pour it over the filling.
The meat is already minced; I will have to prepare the aubergines. For this, I will first cut their heads with a tail and cut them in half along the length. With the tip of a knife, I will make some transverse notches in the eggplants’ core and place them in an oven tray.
How to Make the Stuffed Aubergine Recipe?
Baking the Aubergines
First, we have to bake the aubergines, and for this, we place them in a baking tray cut side up; I will sprinkle a pinch of salt on top and pour a little extra virgin olive oil over them, about a tablespoon.
Put the tray in the oven at 200 degrees and bake the aubergines for about 15-20 minutes, during which we prepare the filling.
How to Make the Mince Stuffing?
In a larger non-stick pan, heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil (or extra virgin olive oil) and fry the smoked bacon for about 3-4 minutes, until the fat melts.
I recommend using bacon or smoked pancetta in this recipe, regardless of whether you use pork, beef or lamb, because they will flavour the meat very well, and you will raise your stuffed aubergine recipe to another level.
Add the finely chopped onion, mix with a wooden spoon and fry everything for about a minute, over medium heat to the sea, until the onion softens a little.
Then I mix the minced meat in the pan and fry it evenly until it turns white a little, about a minute, after which I have to season it.
Season with a teaspoon of sea salt, half a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, dried thyme, sun-dried tomatoes that I have previously chopped, a tablespoon of tomato paste and very little water, about 50 ml (1/4 cup).
I reduce the heat to medium to low and let it simmer for about twenty minutes until the meat is almost done; I will put it in the oven, where it will continue to cook.
While the minced meat is cooking, I take the aubergine tray out of the oven and let them cool so I can work with them. With a spoon, I will take out the eggplant core on a chopping board and chop them a little.
Try to do this without breaking the aubergine’s shell, and they must remain whole, like boats where we will put the filling.
I add this eggplant core that I took out with a spoon over the minced meat and let it simmer for another three minutes to combine all the flavours.
Filling the Aubergines
With a spoon, I put the filling in these eggplant boats and arranged them nicely, I tried, and I managed to use all the filling.
I will pour the sauce made of single cream over them, which will help us make the dish juicier; it doesn’t matter if it drains a little between them.
I will cover the eggplant boats with plenty of grated cheese, which will melt, and the stuffed aubergines will look great and have a special taste.
Of course, on top of that, we don’t forget to sprinkle with chopped chives; it will give a little contrasting colour and an extra flavour.
Put the tray in the oven at 180 degrees for twenty minutes until the cheese melts and acquires a copper colour.
With this, our dinner is ready, and this was the stuffed aubergine recipe made in my version; we will serve them nicely until they are hot.
Serving the Stuffed Aubergines
These special stuffed aubergines with mince are served hot, with fresh bread and a glass of red wine, an ideal dinner or lunch option.
If you liked my stuffed aubergines and want to try other stuffed recipes on our blog, I recommend you try the following:
- stuffed mushrooms with cheese and bacon
- best Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls recipe
- baked stuffed whole chicken recipe
- best stuffed cabbage rolls recipe
- best stuffed collard greens recipe
Don’t forget to like and share us on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest pages, where you can follow us to be up to date with our new family recipe ideas.
Stuffed Aubergines Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Oven tray
- 1 bowl
Ingredients Â
- 4 pieces aubergines eggplants medium size
- 500 g pork mince low fat
- 200 g smoked bacon or pancetta
- 1 piece onion medium size
- 150 g cheddar cheese grated
- 150 ml single cream
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bunch chives fresh, chopped
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp sea salt kosher
- 5 pieces sundried tomatoes
- ½ tsp ground pepper freshly ground
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 50 ml water hot
InstructionsÂ
- Cut the bacon slices transversely into smaller pieces, chop the onion, cut the sundried tomatoes into smaller pieces, chop finely the chives and grate the cheddar cheese. Mix the single cream with the tomato paste.
- Cut the aubergines heads with a tail and cut them in half along the length. With the tip of a knife, make some transverse notches in the core of the eggplants and place them in an oven tray.
- Season the aubergines with sea salt and sprinkled them with olive oil, put the tray in the oven to 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil and fry the smoked bacon for about 3-4 minutes, until the fat melts. Add the onion, mix with a wooden spoon and fry everything for about a minute.
- Add the minced meat to the pan, mix and fry the meat evenly until it turns white a little, about a minute.
- Season with sea salt, dried thyme, sun-dried tomatoes that I have previously chopped, tomato paste and very little water, about 50 ml (1/4 cup). Simmer for 20 minutes.
- With a spoon, take out the eggplant core on a chopping board and chop them a little. Add this eggplant core over the minced meat and let it simmer for another three minutes.
- With a spoon, put the mince filling in these eggplant boats and arrange them nicely. Pour over them the sauce made of single cream, cover the aubergines with plenty of grated cheese and sprinkle them with chopped chives.
- Put the tray in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for twenty minutes until the cheese melts and acquires a copper colour.
- Serve hot, with fresh bread and a glass of red wine.
