There are so many possibilities and creations you can make with the stuffing with the several suggestions I have below.
We love these stuffed and baked but there are many other cooking methods show below as well.
These eggplant boats can be made all vegetarian or stuffed with a variety of meats.
This meal is a perfect alternative for those who practice Catholic beliefs during the Lent period before the Easter Holiday.
Mom love, hers stuffed with ricotta cheese and spices, the rest of us loved various vegetables added like mushrooms and peppers.
Adapt to the many stuffing ideas for an all in one fun meal and create each one tailored to however your family likes them.
We have many recipes using this versatile recipe and you can find most of them on my Eggplant Roundup of Recipes post.
Scroll down for this yummy stuffed eggplant recipe and print it off, it's a perfect way to kick off Spring with these delicious waistline-friendly eggplant boats!
Easy Eggplant Boats
These will probably be the most delicious and easiest way to prepare eggplant.
They really have just a few ingredients and even the middles are roasted for a side dish or use them in another recipe.
I love roasted eggplant and nothing will go to waste with this recipe.
Scoop out the middles, roast them and they can be used in the stuffing or even tossed with some garlic butter and cooked pasta!
Tool You Will Need To Make Eggplant Boats
- Sharp paring knife
- Cutting Board
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
- Cheese grater or shredder
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients You Will Need To Make Baked Stuffed Eggplant Boats
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for exact measurements
- cooked rice or the insides cubed eggplant
- tomato sauce
- oregano, basil, parsley fresh or dried
- garlic powder or 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
- pinch cayenne pepper
- fresh plum tomatoes
- Garnish with a shredded blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese
- grated cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
Other Cooking Methods:
All Instructions are below in the Printable Recipe Card
- Slow cooker
- Air Fried
- Grilled
- Roasted in the Oven
Filling Suggestions:
Optional Meats using around 1 cup cooked meat of choice:
- cut-up sirloin steak
- cooked hamburger meat or ground turkey
- cooked ground pork
- ground cooked venison meat
- chopped cooked chicken
- chopped cooked lamb
- cut-up cubed cooked ham
- loose Italian sausage cooked and drained
- pepperoni chopped
Optional vegetables and cheeses:
- sliced mushrooms
- peppers
- black olives
- white or black drained beans
- ricotta cheese, mixed with grated cheese and mozzarella
- chopped artichokes and fresh spinach leaves
- steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with sharp cheddar cheeses
Tips
- Leave the skin on or peel it
- Salt the eggplant first and let it drain on paper towels for 1 hour to remove bitterness or soak them in milk first
- Use all fresh herbs when in season
- Always pierce with a fork to see if the eggplant is soft before removing from the cooking method
- These can be frozen for another meal in freezer bags or plastic containers
More Recipes We Love Using Eggplant
Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Pizza
Eggplant Sinatra
Pin Baked Stuffed Eggplant Boats for Later
Fun Foods
Seriously Baked Stuffed Eggplant Boats is a fabulous all in one meal.
If you love eggplant, this is a fun food to make.
They are fun to make, fun to eat, easy and filling plus low in calories.
Check out the many stuffing suggestions and make this to however you like your stuffing with so many options!
Baked Stuffed Eggplant Boats
Yield: 2
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 40 Mtotal time: 50 M
This is a recipe for stuffed eggplant boats. The eggplants is stuffed with rice and tomato and additional options are included. Any cooked meats can be added. This is a whole vegetarian or a meat meal. Perfect during lent without meat and low in calories. There are several stuffing options to choose from.
ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked rice (or finely chop the insides scooped eggplant for all vegetable)
- add any of the options suggested below: around 1 cup of meat or additional vegetables
- 1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoons each oregano, basil, parsley fresh or dried
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 chopped fresh plum tomatoes
- Garnish with a shredded blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 or 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper or use jar roasted peppers
- Optional meats: add 1 cup cooked meat of choice, cut up sirloin steak, cooked hamburger meat, ground venison meat, chopped cooked chicken, chopped cooked lamb, cut up ham, loose Italian sausage cooked and drained or pepperoni.
- Optional vegetables and cheeses: add sliced mushrooms, peppers, black olives, white or black drained beans, ricotta cheese, mixed with grated cheese and mozzarella, chopped artichokes and fresh spinach leaves, steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with sharp cheddar cheeses
- Garnish: any shredded cheese you prefer IE cheddar, mozzarella, provolone
- Note: read tips in the instructions above for best results
instructions:
How to cook Baked Stuffed Eggplant Boats
- On a cutting board, cut the eggplant lengthwise in half.
- With a sharp knife carve out each middle leaving the bottom and sides around 1/2 inch thick all around.
- In a medium-size bowl mix everything together including the meat if using but not the mozzarella cheese.
- Fill the boats with the rice mixture.
- Top with shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese or another cheese you prefer.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree hot oven on foil or a parchment-lined cookie sheet and drizzle eggplants tops with olive oil.
- Note: Place the scooped insides of the eggplant on a parchment-lined cookie sheet tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly.
- Roast until eggplant is tender and for later in another dish tossed with your favorite primavera vegetable sauce, with pasta or as a side dish.
- Other Cooking Methods:
- Grilling: Place on a large greased piece of foil and pull the sides of the foil up around the boats.
- Grill on low until fork-tender around 35 minutes.
- Slow cooker: Place this in a slow cooker adding 1/2 cup of liquid (white wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth)
- Slow cook for 2 to 4 hours on high. Check at 2 hours to see if the eggplant is soft.
- Air Fry: Place the eggplant boats on sprayed foil, spray the eggplants with cooking spray on the outside.
- Fold the sides up of the foil to reduce spillage.
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 12 minutes checking with a fork for softness and continue cooking in 4-minute intervals if not cooked all the way through.
- Note: Cooking times will vary by the thickness and size of the eggplant.
Pin Baked Stuffed Eggplant Boats for Later
Don't Forget Some Other Favorite Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini Cranberry Muffins
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2013. It was edited and re-published in 2020.
