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This stuffed eggplant is loaded with spicy sausage, topped with melty cheese, and baked to perfection. It’s a hearty, flavorful dinner you’ll love!
I have a soft spot for baked Italian sausage—it’s flavorful, versatile, and always delivers big, bold taste with minimal effort. And when you pair it with tender roasted eggplant? Oh, it’s magic! If you don’t love eggplants yet, I think you definitely WILL after a bite of this.
In this recipe, Italian sausage and roasted eggplant come together to yield a delicious, hearty, and filling meal, perfect for this time of year. It’s packed with delicious flavors stuffed into hollowed-out eggplant shells and topped with plenty of cheese.
Besides, with so many flavors and textures in this dish, you’ll never know that it’s actually low-carb and Keto-friendly, too! In fact, this meal satisfies my most intense craving for cozy, comforting, healthy homemade food.
What You’ll Need
Sausage stuffed eggplant is one of those dishes we love to revisit when we’re craving something hearty and flavorful. It’s packed with savory sausage, plenty of garlic, and a hint of thyme for that irresistible homemade touch. Here’s what you’ll need to make it happen!
- Eggplants: If eggplant isn’t your thing, try zucchini or bell peppers for a similar result.
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the onions and eggplant while adding a bit of a Mediterranean flavor. Avocado oil or grapeseed oil works well if you need a substitute.
- Yellow Onion: Don’t have a yellow onion? White or red onions can step in just fine.
- Italian Sausage: It brings bold, savory flavor with a touch of heat. Use pork, turkey, or beef sausage—just go for one with some spice for extra flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder can work in a pinch (just use less).
- Fresh Parsley: Brightens up the filling with a fresh note. If you’re out, basil could work, depending on your taste.
- Dried Thyme: Marjoram or Italian seasoning makes a great backup.
- Dried Oregano: Classic in Italian-inspired dishes for its bold, peppery flavor. Swap with Italian seasoning or marjoram if needed.
- Salt & Pepper: Basic but essential for balancing the flavors. Use kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper for the best flavor.
- Hot Water: Added to the baking sheet to help steam the eggplant and keep it tender. If you want extra flavor, use chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Melts beautifully over the stuffed eggplants, adding a creamy, gooey finish. Provolone or Monterey Jack makes a tasty substitute.
How To Make Stuffed Eggplant
This recipe takes me back to childhood—my mom always made stuffed eggplant with sausage on February 14th using their homemade sausages. While most celebrate Valentine’s Day, we Macedonians celebrate St. Trifun, the Guardian of Wine. It’s a day filled with grapevine pruning, wine fairs, and lots of food and drinks. And trust me, this eggplant pairs perfectly with a glass of wine. TRY IT. 😍🍷
- Prep the Eggplant: Scoop out the flesh using a spoon or melon baller, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Chop the eggplant flesh and set it aside.
- Season the Eggplant Shells: Arrange the hollowed-out shells on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and set aside, cut-side up.
- Cook the Filling: Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté the onions and chopped eggplant flesh for 2 minutes, then add the sausage (casings removed). Break up the meat, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the sausage is browned and the eggplant is tender.
- Fill the Eggplants: Wipe the inside of the eggplant shells with paper towels, then spoon in the sausage mixture, filling them evenly.
- Add Water & Bake: Pour hot water into the baking sheet around the stuffed eggplants. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes.
- Add Cheese & Finish: Remove from the oven, sprinkle the tops with shredded cheese, and bake for another few minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Serve: Remove the stuffed eggplants from the oven and serve them warm. Don’t forget the wine! 🍷
Serving Suggestions
For a fresh, vibrant contrast, serve the stuffed eggplants alongside my Macedonian shopska salad—a crisp, colorful salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and feta cheese. You can also add a side of buttery dinner rolls with fluffy couscous, or Mediterranean rice to soak up every bit of that delicious filling. And if you’re feeling extra fancy, a glass of red wine and a slice of baklava will round out the meal perfectly.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store cooled stuffed eggplants in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Once completely cooled, transfer the stuffed eggplants to an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then bake in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.
More Eggplant Recipes
- Eggplant Rollatini
- Italian Sausage and Eggplant Casserole
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Baked Eggplant Penne Pasta
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Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound Italian sausage,, casings removed, (use your choice of sausage; pork, turkey, beef, etc… – but I recommend using one with a bit of heat)
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Prepare the eggplants. Cut the eggplants in half, longwise. Scoop out the flesh/pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the eggplant shell. Chop up the pulp and set it aside.
- Season the eggplants. Place the empty eggplant shells on a rimmed baking sheet; season the empty shells with salt and pepper, and let stand cut-side up.
- Cook the onions and pulp. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and the chopped eggplant flesh to the skillet; cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the sausage. Break up the sausage with your fingers and add it to the skillet; stir in the garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook until the sausage is evenly browned. About 6 minutes.You can also break up the sausage using a wooden spoon while cooking, but I find it easier to work with it when I break it up beforehand.
- Taste for seasonings. Remove the skillet from the heat and taste the mixture for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly.
- Stuff the eggplants. Using paper towels, wipe down the eggplant shells/boats. Stuff the sausage mixture into the eggplant shells.
- Bake. Pour hot water inside the baking sheet, around the eggplants. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.
- Add cheese. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top of each eggplant. Bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve. Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
- For this recipe, I used Johnsonville’s Hot Italian Sausage, but I have also used Jennie-O’s Lean Italian Turkey Sausage, and it was delicious.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I can’t believe how quick this all came together and it taste great as well. We try to eat vegetarian at least once a week and this will become part of our monthly needs.
That’s wonderful to hear! So glad it fit into your routine—perfect for a quick and tasty vegetarian night! Thank YOU! 🙂