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Lebanese Stuffed Baby Eggplant

These little individual sized eggplants from@cosetteskitchen are stuffed to the brim with seasoned ground beef and topped with a sauce created using Italian Crushed Tomatoes and served with the one and only Lebanese rice.

Image of Lebanese Stuffed Baby Eggplant
  • Prep Time

    25min

  • Cook Time

    1hr 30min

  • Total Time

    1hr 55min

  • Serving Size

    8-10

  • Category Title Dinner

  • Cuisine Type Mediterranean

  • Level Simple

Recipe By: Delallo

Ingredients

Directions

  • Meat Mixture:
  • Begin with a large 12-14" sauté pan or skillet.
  • Dice your onions and heat 2 tablespoons of DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil in your large skillet or sauté pan.
  • Allow your onions to cook for 10-12 minutes until they begin to soften and become translucent. Stir every few minutes.
  • Next, add your lean ground beef and salt, continue to cook on medium-high heat, breaking up the meat for 30-40 minutes until liquid is fully absorbed and meat is broken into fine crumbles.
  • Add your cinnamon, black pepper and any additional salt (adjust to taste, will probably need another teaspoon) and pine nuts (if using). Allow to cook on medium-high for another 5 minutes. Once done, turn off heat and set aside until ready to stuff.
  • Tomato Sauce:
  • Begin with a 3 quart (or larger) sauce pot or wide skillet.
  • Dice your onion and heat 1 tablespoon of DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil into your sauce pot.
  • Allow onion to cook for 5 minutes until just beginning to soften.
  • Next, add your chopped garlic and cook for just 1 minute until it becomes fragrant. **Cooking too long will burn the garlic, keep an eye on it!
  • Immediately add your DeLallo Crushed Italian Tomatoes and water. Allow to come to a boil then reduce to a simmer uncovered. Add your allspice, salt, pepper and sugar. Allow to cook for 30 minutes until just thickened.
  • Baby Eggplant:
  • Place your oven rack in the upper third and set to broil.
  • To prepare your eggplants, remove just the green leaves at the stem. Keep the stem intact to ensure your eggplants don't fall apart when cooking and stuffing.
  • After removing the green leaves, with a vegetable peeler or paring knife - peel 3 stripes into the skin of the eggplant.
  • Arrange on a large baking pan (14-16") with sides that are at least 2" high.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil and massage to coat all the eggplants evenly.
  • Place under broiler for 5 minutes, after 5 minutes flip eggplants and continue to broil for another 5, remove again, flip and broil one more time.
  • The eggplants should be soft and have a slight char to them. Remove from the oven and set to 400 degrees.
  • Once cool enough to handle, make a slit in the center (be sure not to cut through to the bottom) and stuff each eggplant with 2-3 heaping teaspoons of your ground beef mixture.
  • Repeat with all eggplants then top and surround with your tomato sauce.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes at 400°F.
  • Remove from the oven and serve immediately with rice. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional pine nuts if desired.

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Keywords:

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Lebanese Stuffed Baby Eggplant

These little individual sized eggplants from@cosetteskitchen are stuffed to the brim with seasoned ground beef and topped with a sauce created using Italian Crushed Tomatoes and served with the one and only Lebanese rice.