Greek Stuffed Eggplant (Melitzanes Papoutsakia) is a heartwarming Greek classic that combines roasted eggplant, saucy, spiced ground beef, and creamy bechamel in one irresistible dish!
Think of all the delicious flavors of Moussaka served in individual portions using beautifully roasted eggplant halves, juicy beef-pork mince in a rich tomato sauce, and silky bechamel cream topping, lightly browned to perfection!
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Traditionally, Papoutsakia, which means little shoes in Greek, are made with fried eggplant halves.
However, in this recipe (and it's how they're mostly made nowadays), Melitzanes (=eggplants) Papoutsakia are made with oven-roasted eggplants. It's easier, less oily, and eggplants hold their shape better.
How To Make
To make this Greek Stuffed Eggplant recipe, you halve the eggplants and create little boats (or shoes, whatever you like to call them). Then roast them in the oven until the flesh is soft and mellow.
Next, you prepare ground meat and tomato sauce on the stovetop. Let it get nice and thick, then add spoonfuls of it on each eggplant half.
Lastly, you make a Bechamel cream with plenty of cheese in and on top. Spread it on top of the meat sauce and bake it all together until a beautiful golden crust forms on top.
The Ground Meat
I'm using a mixture of ground pork and lean ground beef. As I Iike to do in most ground meat sauces. This combination gives more depth of flavor and a juicier meat sauce (than using just beef, for example).
You can, of course, use just ground pork, lean ground beef, or even ground lamb for a more intense flavor.
The Bechamel Cream
The bechamel cream for this Stuffed Eggplant recipe is made with the addition of eggs and grated cheese. I also mix 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt into the cooked cream, which adds a slight tang and a hint of freshness.
Cheese To Use: To make Melitzanes Papoutsakia you need either a sharp, ripened Gruyere cheese, Kefalograviera (a type of hard Greek Gruyere cheese), or Greek Kefalotyri cheese. If you can't find any of those, use some Pecorino Romano instead.
Make It Gluten-Free
It's easy to turn this Greek Eggplant dish into a gluten-free one since there's only some flour used in the Bechamel cream. You can substitute this flour with all-purpose gluten-free flour or with millet flour.
Make Ahead
To make stuffed eggplant with meat ahead of time, you can prepare the ground meat sauce and Bechamel cream up to two days ahead. The eggplants are better roasted on the day you're serving the dish.
Store + Reheat
You can store Eggplant Papoutsakia in an airtight food container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then reheat in the microwave (about 5 minutes on high per portion). Or in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil, in a well-preheated oven at 180°C / 356°F for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve With
Serve these delicious stuffed eggplants with a Greek side dish such as Skordalia (Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Dip), Baked Feta Dip (Bouyourdi), or a Fresh Greek Cabbage Salad.
Recipe
Melitzanes Papoutsakia - Greek Stuffed Eggplant with Meat
Ingredients
- 1 kg (4 large) eggplants
- olive oil
For The Ground Meat Sauce:
- 450 grams (1 lb) ground meat, half pork, half lean beef
- 100 grams (1 small) onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 200 grams (1 cup) canned, diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- a splash red wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley
- ⅔ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
For The Bechamel Cream:
- 500 ml milk lukewarm
- 40 grams (3 tablespoons butter
- 40 grams (4 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 60 grams (2 ounces) Gruyere cheese or Greek Kefalotyri cheese grated
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F.
- Prepare the eggplant. Cut the top and bottom of each eggplant. Slice in half lengthwise to create 2 boats from each eggplant. Carve the flesh of each eggplant boat, creating deep criss-cross lines.
- Place the eggplant boats on a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper, the skin side of the eggplants facing down. Brush generously on top with olive oil, about 3-4 strokes on each piece. The scaring will help the oil to penetrate deeper into the flesh.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until nicely roasted on top and the flesh is soft. While the eggplant is baking, you can start preparing the meat sauce.
Make The Ground Meat Sauce:
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a saute pan.
- Saute the onion over moderate heat until almost caramelized.
- Add the ground meat and the garlic. Break the meat apart until it releases all of its juices.
- Add the ground allspice, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Stir in the tomato paste as well. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour a splash of red wine and give it a minute or two to evaporate.
- Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in 1 cup (250 ml) of hot water.
- Simmer over moderate heat for about 25 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Make The Cream:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until thickened.
- Pour in the milk and nutmeg, cook, stirring often, until the cream thickens. Use a whisk to stir the cream to avoid flour lumps. Remove from the heat.
- Allow the cream to cool for 10 minutes. Then stir in the egg and ⅔ of the grated cheese.
Assemble The Papoutsakia:
- Lower the heat of the oven to 180°C / 355°F.
- Press the flesh of the eggplants with a fork to hollow a bit and make room for the meat sauce.
- Add spoonfuls of the ground meat sauce in each eggplant boat and top with the cream.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cream sets and gets a honey golden color on top.
- Let the papoutsakia stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley if you like, and enjoy!
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