Ground Turkey-Stuffed Eggplant Recipe
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch chili flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup red wine
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, then score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern.
  3. Coat eggplant flesh with 2 tablespoons olive oil and place flesh side-down in a roasting dish.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes, until eggplant is cooked through and soft.
  5. Meanwhile, place remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
  6. Saute onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
  7. Add ground turkey to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink.
  8. Add oregano, cinnamon, chili flakes, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
  9. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, and chicken stock.
  10. Reduce heat to medium-low and let turkey mixture simmer for 20 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile, make béchamel sauce by melting butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  12. Add flour and whisk quickly to form a roux.
  13. Slowly incorporate milk into the roux, whisking continuously, to form a thick and creamy sauce.
  14. Add nutmeg and remove the sauce from heat.
  15. Once eggplants are cooked and soft, scoop out most of the flesh and roughly chop it.
  16. Add eggplant flesh to the turkey mixture, removing the bay leaf.
  17. Transfer hollow eggplants into a baking dish.
  18. Divide turkey mixture among the hollowed-out eggplants.
  19. Top with béchamel sauce and cheddar cheese, then bake for 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling.
  20. Serve hot.