Sausage Stuffed Eggplant Boats - An Easy Baked Eggplant Recipe! (2024)

These sausage stuffed eggplant boats are as tasty as they are fun to eat. Stuffed with spicy sausage and topped with cheese, this baked eggplant recipe is a satisfying, healthy dinner you’ll go back to again and again.

SAUSAGE STUFFED EGGPLANT

Italian sausage and roasted eggplant come together to yield a delicious, hearty, and filling meal, perfect for this time of year. It’s packed with delicious flavors stuffed into hollowed-out eggplant shells and topped with plenty of cheese.

Besides, with so many flavors and textures in this dish, you’ll never know that it’s actually low-carb and Keto-friendly, too!

In fact, this meal satisfies my most intense craving for cozy, comforting, healthy homemade food.

HOW TO BAKE SAUSAGE STUFFED EGGPLANTS

Sausage Stuffed Eggplant is one of those specialties that we enjoy from time to time, and last night was one of those times. Made with our very own homemade sausage, lots of garlic, and a touch of thyme.

1. We begin with scooping out the flesh from the eggplant with a spoon or a melon baller, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on the sides of the eggplant. Chop up the flesh, or pulp, and set aside.
2. Transfer those empty eggplant shells to a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper and set aside, cut-side up.
3. In a skillet, fry some onions and add in chopped up eggplant flesh; cook for 2 minutes.
4. Remove casings from the sausage, break up the meat with your fingers, and add to the skillet. You can break it up with a spoon while cooking, but I find it easier if I do it myself, beforehand.
5. Season and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until sausage is evenly browned and eggplant is tender.
6. Wipe down the eggplant shells with paper towels, then, fill them up with the sausage mixture.
7. Pour HOT water into the rimmed baking sheet, around the eggplants.
8. Bake for around 25 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese, and continue to bake for few more minutes, or until cheese has melted.
9. Remove from oven and serve. Don’t forget the wine.

If you don’t love eggplants, yet, I think you definitely WILL after a bite of this recipe.

HOW TO STORE STUFFED EGGPLANTS

• Store cooled stuffed-eggplants in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• To freeze, store completely cooled sausage stuffed eggplants in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months
• Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350˚F oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.

I have to give you my little back story to this recipe. This has to be one of my favorite meals that my Mom used to make when we were little, using homemade sausages. And, this eggplant recipe was ALWAYS served on Valentine’s Day. Lemme tell you why.

You see, we Macedonians celebrate St. Trifun, the Guardian of wine and wine makers ❤️, on the same day that the other part of the world celebrates Valentine’s Day.

In honor of St. Trifun, on the 14th of February a celebration takes place in many city squares in Macedonia with a program that includes agricultural and cultural happenings, and the famous Wine Fair. The priests say a prayer, and the pruning season is symbolically marked with the pruning of the three church wine grapes.

Then, we all eat and drink until we can’t walk. 🥴 🥂

To wrap it up, though; basically, she served Sausage Stuffed Eggplant on St. Trifun because it goes SO damn well with wine. TRY IT. 😍

ANYWHO! Enough about me and my beautiful Macedonian roots. NOW, go make these delicious eggplants.

They are EASY to make, they are super satisfying, crazy delicious, and freezer friendly. 👊

MORE EGGPLANT RECIPES

• Eggplant Rollatini
• Italian Sausage and Eggplant Casserole
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Baked Eggplant Penne Pasta

ENJOY!

*Recipe originally published on February 15th, 2011. Post was updated on November 22nd, 2019.