Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan With Ground Beef

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/18/21
Stuffed eggplant parmesan

The Spruce

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

This stuffed eggplant is a tasty alternative to heavier fried eggplant slices. It's similar in flavor to eggplant Parmesan but with ground beef in the filling.

The ground beef is flavored with garlic and tomatoes. Mozzarella cheese tops the stuffed eggplant. Use small eggplants for individual serving sizes.

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds eggplant, ends trimmed and halved lengthwise

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or 3 to 4 slices

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for eggplant parmesan
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  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Hollow out inside of eggplant, leaving a sturdy shell for stuffing.

    Hollow out eggplant
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  3. Place shells in a foil-lined baking pan and set aside.

    Place in a baking pan
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  4. Dice eggplant that was removed from "shells."

    Dice eggplant
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  5. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add reserved diced eggplant and sauté until soft.

    Saute
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  6. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

    Remove eggplant
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  7. Add ground beef to skillet; cook while breaking up.

    Add ground beef
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  8. Add garlic to skillet and sauté for about 1 minute longer.

    Add ground beef to skillet
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  9. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.

    Stir in salt
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  10. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and sautéed eggplant to sauce mixture and stir to blend.

    Add the breadcrumbs
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  11. Spoon sauce mixture into eggplant shells.

    Spoon the sauce mixture
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  12. Cut mozzarella cheese slices into triangles and arrange on top of eggplant halves, or top eggplant with shredded mozzarella cheese.

    Cut cheese strips onto eggplant
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  13. Bake stuffed eggplant Parmesan oven for about 25 minutes.

    Bake stuffed egpglant
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  14. To serve, place eggplant halves on a bed of cooked buttered green beans or spaghetti squash. Or serve stuffed eggplant on heated marinara sauce with cooked spaghetti.

    Serve
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
491 Calories
22g Fat
43g Carbs
33g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 491
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 80mg 27%
Sodium 746mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 15%
Dietary Fiber 8g 27%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 17mg 87%
Calcium 245mg 19%
Iron 5mg 30%
Potassium 1021mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)