Turkey Stuffed Eggplant

Need a new fork-licking-good eggplant recipe? Try this Turkey Stuffed Eggplant dish! Veggies, ground turkey, and cheese fill tender roasted eggplant boats for an easy, dreamy, healthy, and nutritious dinner.

Beautiful, in-season, eggplant globes are at the Farmers market right now and if you are receiving produce boxes I’m sure these will be there in too. I love smoky, grilled eggplant as a side dish but I love even more if it can be the base of the entire meal. Roasting eggplant halves, scooping out the flesh, then lightly mashing it and adding it to ground turkey makes a perfect healthful and filling summer entrée. Best of all, it can be made ahead and leftovers keep well for a delicious lunch the next day. The ease of this dish will surprise you, the tastiness will delight you. I hope you give it a try really soon.

Ingredients for turkey stuffed eggplant

Happy to report that aside from the two main ingredients – ground turkey and eggplants – you will like have the few other ingredients on hand, or you can easily switch up to suit you.

Eggplant: Here we are using the large, oblong, and deep purple standard eggplant. If you would like to use a different variety that is similar in size, go ahead. TIP: To avoid bitter, dry eggplants, look for ones that feel firm and have smooth skin with no wrinkles.

Ground turkey: Mild-flavoured ground turkey is a perfect protein for this dish. You can certainly go with any other ground meat such as chicken, beef, or even lamb. If vegan or vegetarian, this will be delicious with sautéed tempeh, tofu or a plant based sausage.

Tomato, red pepper, onions, and garlic. These simple veggies will flavour the stuffing beautifully. I like to use fresh tomatoes but you can use a very small amount of canned or passata id that is easier for you. In a pinch, a few tablespoons of tomato paste is also fine.

Spices and seasoning. I keep mine super simple and basic but here is where you can really have some fun. Paprika, cumin, dried oregano and a pinch of cayenne along with salt and pepper, add plenty of flavour. For a more punchy and complex stuffing, try other spices such as curry powder, turmeric, coriander, smoked paprika, etc. You can’t go wrong.

Cheese: For this recipe I used goat cheese for the ultimate in extra creaminess. Grated mozzarella, cheddar, feta, basically any other cheese your heart desires, will also work.

Fresh herbs: Thyme and lemony basil brightens the dish with lots of colour and flavour. You can also use parsley and/or cilantro but I would stay away from other over powering herbs like rosemary.

How to make stuffed eggplant?

I know it’s hot out and you are likely avoiding turning on your oven. But this deliciously hearty turkey stuffed eggplant recipe comes together so quickly you won’t mind having the oven on for just under 40 minutes (sans the preheat time). It will be worth it, I promise.

Here is the simple how-to:

1. Prepare the eggplant. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a small sharp knife, and leaving about 1/2 -inch border around the edges, score the eggplants in a criss-cross pattern reaching to the bottom of the eggplant but being careful not to pierce skin (this will make scooping out the flesh easier once it is cooked). Brush each half with olive oil, and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
2. Roast the eggplant. Place the eggplant halves, skin side down, in a baking tray and cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until nicely golden and tender. If your eggplants are particularly large, they may take a little longer to cook.
3. Prepare the stuffing. Sauté the onion, red pepper, garlic until slightly soft. Add the ground turkey, herbs, and spices and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until brown and no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Scoop out the eggplant flesh. Once the eggplant has cooled enough to touch, gently scoop out most of the flesh and add to the turkey mixture. Cook the mixture for a few more minutes to let the flavours meld.
5. Stuff the eggplant. Stuff the eggplant halves evenly with the turkey mixture. Crumble the goat cheese over top and roast for about 5-10 minutes just to heat through. TIP: If using a melty cheese such as mozzarella, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes.

A Few Tips

Don’t undercook the eggplant. Roast the eggplant until the flesh is really tender and has a nice golden-brown colour. If it is not cooked enough, it will be hard to scoop out and it will remain too spongy.

Don’t overcook the stuffed eggplants. If you bake the stuffed eggplants for too long, the “boats” will get too soft and and the stuffing will spill out. You want to bake the stuffed eggplants, only until warmed through.

Make ahead. As previously mentioned, this is a great make-ahead recipe. To make ahead, roast the eggplant, and scoop out the flesh. Store the flesh and eggplant shells in separate containers in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The stuffing, with or without the eggplant flesh, can also be made ahead; place in a tight-lid container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Variations

Vegetarian and vegan option: Replace the meat with tempeh, tofu or plant-based sausage. Or use a grain like cooked quinoa, chickpeas, lentils or rice. Use a plant-based cheese or simply omit it to keep vegan.

Add other veggies to the filling: My crisper is currently full of zucchini and summer squash. I suspect a filling made with ground turkey and chopped zucchini would be very delicious so I am trying that soon. Think outside the box; shredded cabbage, kale or spinach, cooked with the turkey is another great way to go.

To serve 

These turkey stuffed eggplants are filling and satisfying on their own. But I do love them with some lemony yogurt on the side and/or a green salad. SO good!

More turkey recipes you might enjoy:

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie recipe

Albondigas Guisadas (Stewed Meatballs)

Harissa Turkey Chili 

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Turkey Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Author: Sandra Valvassori

Veggies, ground turkey, and cheese fill tender roasted eggplant boats for an easy, dreamy, healthy, and nutritious dinner.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2 large eggplants
• extra vigin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 small onion diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 cup small tomato, chopped or 1/4 cup passata, or chopped canned tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese*
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, basil, parsley for garnish

Optional Lemon Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup full-fat Greek Yogurt
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• pinch of kosher salt

Instructions 

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a small sharp knife, and leaving about 1/2 -inch border around the edges, score the eggplants in a criss-cross pattern reaching to the bottom of the eggplant but being careful not to pierce skin (this will make scooping out the flesh easier once it is cooked). Brush each half with olive oil, and season with a 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper.
• Place the eggplant halves, skin side down, in a baking tray and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until nicely golden-brown and tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile prepare the filling. Heat 1 tablesoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Add the ground turkey, oregano, paprika, cayenne (if using) and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until brown and no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and fresh thyme and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
• Once the eggplant has cooled enough to touch, gently scoop out most of the flesh and add to the turkey mixture, leaving the shells in the baking tray. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes to let the flavours meld.
• Stuff the eggplant halves evenly with the turkey mixture. Crumble the goat cheese over top and roast for about 5-10 minutes just to heat through. TIP: If using a melty cheese such as mozzarella, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
• If making the lemon yogurt sauce, mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl to combine.
• Garnish eggplants with chopped thyme leaves and basil. Serve with lemon-yogurt sauce, if desired.

Notes

*Or use any other cheese you prefer such as grated mozzarella, cheddar, manchego, feta, etc.  

To make ahead: roast the eggplant, and scoop out the flesh. Store the flesh and eggplant shells in separate containers in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The stuffing, with or without the eggplant flesh, can also be made ahead; place in a tight-lid container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Keywords: Eggplant, Goat cheese, Turkey

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