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I think I’ve mentioned a couple of times (or twenty), that The Goddess has a fondness for eggplant.  The season is in full swing now, so you might imagine that eggplant is finding it’s way into, onto, around, under, etc. her table.  She’s been hasselbacking things recently, and why should eggplant escape her vision? Of course, it shouldn’t and happily this is rather tasty.  I liked even better the next day, reheated.  We’re using Asian eggplants here, but longer and more narrow Italian-type eggplant would work just fine, maybe even better.  To cut things into hassleback, I lay a chopstick on either side, parallel with the item being cut.  This stops the knife from slicing clean through and the cuts should be even.  It works well and I’ve been doing this for years.  You may remember the Hasselback Carrots with Seasoned Crumbs and the Hasselback Tomatoes with a Seasoned Crumb Stuffing…you can see pictures there, if you need to.  However, I cut these lengthwise, because Asian eggplants are much narrower and I felt this would work better.

You may make the stuffing early in the day or even the day before and have it there in the fridge ready and waiting.  By the way, this sauce is good on pasta, too. Onto the filling:

heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.  Toss in the garlic, sauté for about 1 minute.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring to loosen any bits from the bottom of the skillet.  You want those bits…flavor, baby!  Stir in the bay leaf, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, broth powder, the tomatoes and cooked meat (lamb is really stellar here).

Simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half, then

stir in the shredded potato.  Simmer until the potato has softened, about 4-5 minutes.  You want most of the liquid to have evaporated, but the mixture should still be very moist, just not soupy.  You may need to add additional water, just until the potato is where you want it.  Taste and season, if needed.  Set aside.  When you’re ready to stuff the eggplants; preheat the oven to 350°F.  Drain and discard any accumulated liquid from the eggplant, but if you’re using Asian eggplant there probably won’t be too much, if any.  Divide the filling into 4 portions.  Using your fingers, spread the layers apart and using a tablespoon, stuff some filling into each slice, until you’ve used all of the quarter portion of stuffing.  Place each stuffed eggplant portion in oiled baking vessel (I like to use a cast iron skillet).  They should fit snuggly, which helps them stay together.

Make a medium béchamel according to the instructions.  Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the stuffed eggplants.  Pour the béchamel over the eggplants, coating them thoroughly (okay, so I neglected to take photos of this step).  Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is browned the eggplant is just tender (as well as the finished dish!). Let stand for at least 5 minutes, as they hold the heat like crazy.  Sprinkle with the mint and toasted walnuts and serve.

The male eggplant, on the left, has a smooth blossom end. The female, on the right, has a slight indentation.

By the way, did you know that eggplants are sexed?  Yup…found that out a few years ago.  The female eggplant has more seeds.  Makes perfect sense doesn’t it?  I just thought I’d toss that little tidbit out there for you to think about.

Greek-Flavored Hasselback Stuffed Eggplant with Creamy-Cheese Sauce

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Print

  • 2 Asian Eggplants, trimmed
  • 3/4 pound browned lean ground lamb or ground beef
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dry Greek oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon
  • Large pinch ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry beef broth powder
  • 1/2 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 small-ish potato, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or more to taste)
  • 1/3 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or a good melting cheese)
  • 1 cup medium Béchamel sauce (see recipe)
  • Mint for garnish (either dry or minced fresh mint)
  • Toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Trim the both ends and slice the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices, cutting ONLY 3/4 of the way through.  Cut each eggplant in half crosswise; you now have four portions. Sprinkle with salt; set aside.

To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, and continue to sauté for about 1 minute.  Deglaze the pan with the wine; stir to loosen any bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Add the bay leaf, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and broth powder.  Stir until combined; add the tomatoes and cooked beef.  Continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half.  Stir in the shredded potato, simmer until softened, but not completely cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.  You want most of the liquid to have evaporated; the mixture should still be very moist, but not soupy.  You may need to add additional water, just until the potato is where you want it.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.  Set aside.

When you’re ready to stuff the eggplants; preheat the oven to 350°F.  Oil a baking dish or skillet; set aside.  Drain and discard any accumulated liquid.  If you use Asian eggplant, there probably won’t be too much.  Divide the filling into 4 portions.  Using your fingers, spread the layers apart and using a tablespoon, stuff some filling into each slice, until you’ve used all of the quarter portion of stuffing.  Place each stuffed eggplant portion in the oiled baking vessel; they should fit snuggly.

Make the medium béchamel according to the instructions.  Sprinkle the feta evenly over the eggplant, then sprinkle on the shredded cheese.  Pour the béchamel over the eggplants, coating them thoroughly.  Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is browned the eggplant is just tender. Let stand for at least 5 minutes; sprinkle with the mint and toasted walnuts; serve.

NOTE:  You may combine Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle the mixture over the top, before baking, if desired.  If gluten is an issue, use rice flour instead of wheat flour, when making the béchamel.

Greek-Flavored Hasselback Stuffed Eggplant with Creamy-Cheese Sauce Recipe©Marcia Lahens  2020.  All rights reserved.