Stuffed Eggplant

When I go to the grocery store and see a beautiful eggplant, I can't resist putting it into my cart. Last week, I made Eggplant Stackers.  Tonight, I wanted to do something different.  My husband and I love stuffed peppers, so I thought stuffed eggplant would be delicious too.  So I rummaged through the fridge and cabinets to see what I could add into this recipe.  I found exactly what I needed.  Some tomatoes, a little cheese, some ground beef, and a few bread crumbs.  It was so good and easy.  On a scale of one to five yums, this Stuffed Eggplant was definitely a five on the scale!

Here's what you'll need:
2 small eggplants
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 -5.5 ounce can V-8 juice
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
salt & pepper to taste

Here is a great find!  Gluten-free bread crumbs!

For topping:
2 tablespoons bread crumbs (I used gluten-free, see pic above)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 servings
(I only needed two servings, so I saved the rest of the beef mixture and will either add it to some pasta or stuff it into some peppers for another dinner).

Here's what to do:
Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain excess fat using paper towels.

Cut the eggplant lengthwise.  Scoop or cut out the center part.  Dice the center flesh of the eggplant. Sprinkle both the whole parts and the diced eggplant with salt.  Let sit on a paper towel for about 10-15 minutes.

Add diced eggplant to ground beef mixture.  Cook until eggplant is soft.  Add 1 can Rotel tomatoes with juice.  Add 1 small can V-8 juice.  Stir and let simmer together.

Place eggplant on baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until slightly tender.

Add mozzarella cheese to ground beef mixture and stir.

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and  Parmesan cheese.  This will be the topping and get nice and crispy.

Fill eggplant "boats" with ground beef mixture and top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumb mixture.  Put back in oven and broil for about 3-5 minutes until topping is golden and crispy.

That's it.  So easy and delicious.  I served it with a green leafy side salad.  Here's my Eggplant Stackers recipe.  It's delish too!