Baked eggplant in the oven with garlic and cheese - this is a great hot appetizer that will look great on both a festive and everyday table. Especially often, these vegetables are cooked in combination with tomatoes and aromatic herbs.
The most suitable green eggplant supplement is basil, but many other herbs also go well with them. However, do not use peppermint, thyme, parsley, or rosemary in place of fresh or dried basil. Any hard aged cheese is a good substitute for parmesan, considered a classic in such dishes.
Serve oven-baked eggplant with tomatoes, cheese and garlic as a side dish for fried chicken or steaks, or make them a simple vegetable lunch with rice, cauliflower or pasta.
How to cook such a dish?
You can bake eggplant in many ways, but the simplest recipe is as follows. You will need:
- 2 small eggplants cut transversely.
- 6 medium tomatoes, cut crosswise.
- 1 teaspoon of salt.
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly frozen black pepper.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 cloves of minced garlic.
- 6 to 8 basil leaves, finely chopped (or about 1 tablespoon dried tea).
- Fresh chopped cheese.
How to do it?
Spray olive oil on a large baking sheet with low edges. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
In a large plastic bag or bowl, mix chopped eggplant and tomatoes with salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic and basil. Lay prepared vegetables on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until vegetables are well-done. Sprinkle with fresh grated cheese.
Tips and Variations
Mix eggplant and tomato with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of freshly chopped garlic.
Add the finely chopped onions to the vegetables, having previously fried them in olive oil. You can also add bell peppers.
You can also add eggplant with garlic and cheese in the oven, diced bacon or dried walnuts.
How to choose eggplant?
Look for vegetables with a shiny skin that does not have wrinkles, spots and soft patches. Eggplant should be hard and fairly heavy for its size. Small and medium sized vegetables are less likely to be bitter than large ones.
Also look at the stalk of the selected eggplant. It should be green and free of mold.
Cheese aubergines
Many people like vegetables fried in breadcrumbs, but rarely eat them because of their health hazards. But you can make this dish more useful if you cook it in the oven. Delicious breaded eggplants can be eaten either by themselves or dipped in freshly prepared tomato sauce. Small vegetables are best suited for this recipe. They do not have a watery structure characteristic of larger eggplants, and a thinner diameter allows you to cut them into neat circles, which can be served as a snack or side dish.
For this dish you will need the following products:
- 1 kg of small eggplant (about 6 pieces, depending on their size).
- 2 large eggs.
- 3/4 cup finely grated cheese.
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs.
- 1 teaspoon dried Provencal herbs.
- 1/2 tablespoon of tea salt, garlic powder and freshly ground pepper.
- Olive oil for baking.
- Optional: dipping marinara sauce.
How to cook it?
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Apply oil carefully on a baking sheet. Set it aside (you may need to use two baking sheets.)
In a small bowl, beat eggs and 1 tablespoon of water together. In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, seasonings, salt and pepper. Cut the eggplants in thick circles and dip them into the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drain. Immerse the slices in the cheese mixture, gently pressing on them.
Transfer the breadcrumbed rings to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown for 17-20 minutes. Then turn them over and continue to bake until lightly toasted on the other side, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve them on your own or with marinara sauce.
If you want to try frying large eggplants quickly in the oven, it is recommended to cut them into slices, put in a colander and put half a spoonful of tea salt. Allow excess moisture to drain for 20-30 minutes, and then pat them with a dry paper towel and cook exactly as described in the recipe above.
Eggplant with feta cheese
Roasting eggplant in the oven is a favorite way for many to cook them. The combination of this vegetable with tomato and feta cheese looks very appetizing. Quite simply, you can make eggplant boats in the oven, even if you are a beginner inexperienced cook.
Grocery list:
- 1 medium eggplant.
- 2 cloves of chopped garlic.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- A little white wine (optional).
- 70 grams of feta cheese.
- 1 large tomato or several cherry tomatoes.
- 1 teaspoon oregano.
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional).
- Parsley (as a side dish).
- Red wine vinegar (to taste).
- Salt and pepper.
Cooking Instructions
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and cut its flesh with a sharp knife. Remove all flesh with care. You must not tear or pierce the skin. You should get empty "boats."
Cover them with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Place the skinned boats in the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees until the peel begins to soften.
Grind the flesh of the eggplant at the same time. Add olive oil and garlic to the pan over medium heat and sauté until brown. Add the flesh of eggplant, some white wine, oregano and chili. Sauté until vegetables are tender.
Fill the peel of vegetables with fried pulp, put chopped feta cheese and tomatoes on top, and sprinkle oregano. Bake the eggplant boats in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Then remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve with red wine vinegar.
Parmesan Stuffed Vegetables
You can cook the eggplant stuffed with cheese and garlic in the oven in a simpler way. For this recipe you will need:
- 1 eggplant, cut lengthwise.
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and mixed with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Sea salt.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Sliced fresh herbs (best basil).
Practical part
Eggplant with garlic and cheese in the oven can be cooked like this. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, lightly grease the baking tray with oil, or lay parchment paper on top. Arrange the eggplant halves and coat with olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 15 minutes, then turn over the eggplant and bake again for another 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to acquire a pleasant dark brown hue around the edges. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan and chopped herbs. Serve immediately.
Baked vegetables with cheese mixture
Oven-cooked eggplant with garlic and two types of cheese resemble baked friable potatoes to taste. How to cook this delicious dish? For him you will need:
- 1 medium eggplant.
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- 1/2 teaspoon of tea salt plus a pinch.
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus a pinch.
- 3/4 cup chopped onion.
- 2 cloves of minced garlic.
- 2 cups chopped cheddar cheese.
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil.
- 1 egg whipped.
Cooking
The recipe for eggplant with garlic and cheese in the oven is as follows. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Cut the stem from the eggplant and cut the vegetable in half. Moisten with olive oil (use 1 tablespoon) and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Spread the halves on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then take out the vegetable and cool slightly.
Reduce oven temperature to 150 degrees. When the eggplants have cooled sufficiently and you can pick them up, cut the flesh out of them, being careful not to damage the skin. Dice the flesh and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, and fry until soft, about 3 minutes. After that, put the flesh of eggplant and fry for another 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine cheddar and parmesan, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and egg. Stir this mixture with eggplant and onions. Then put the resulting mass into skins, put on a slightly greased baking dish and bake for 40 minutes.
Another variation of the recipe
The above recipe has another version that offers baking eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, garlic and mayonnaise in the oven. If you want to cook vegetables that way, then add finely chopped tomato to the pulp and onion fries. For further cooking, replace the egg with 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. This modification of the recipe does not affect the cooking time. In addition, you can use just one type of cheese of your choice, not necessarily cheddar or parmesan.