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Eggplant Papoutsakia

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Papoutsakia, meaning “little shoes” in Greek, are roasted eggplant halves stuffed with a savory ground meat tomato sauce, topped with creamy béchamel and melted cheese.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 eggplants, washed and dried
  • 1 pound ground beef (or lamb/chicken)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 15 oz (425 g) crushed tomatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Handful fresh parsley, chopped
  • Shredded Parmesan or Kefalotiri cheese
  • Béchamel: 2 cups whole milk, 5 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, pinch ground nutmeg, salt and pepper, ~2 cups grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
  2. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise; score flesh in a crisscross pattern without cutting through. Place on a baking pan.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast 40 minutes until golden and tender.
  4. Meanwhile, for the meat sauce: sauté onion in ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat until golden (10 min); add garlic, then ground meat; cook until no pink remains.
  5. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; stir in crushed tomatoes and 1 cup water. Simmer on medium-high until thickened (25 min); stir in oregano and parsley; adjust seasoning.
  6. For béchamel: heat olive oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat; toast 2 min. Whisk in milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; cook until thick enough to coat a spoon; remove from heat.
  7. Beat eggs; temper by whisking in a little hot béchamel; return egg mixture to sauce, whisking; stir in Parmesan.
  8. Scoop out eggplant flesh slightly; arrange eggplants on a baking dish; sprinkle base with cheese.
  9. Divide meat sauce among eggplant halves; spoon béchamel on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  10. Bake 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
  11. Let rest 10–15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • You can prepare eggplants, meat sauce, and béchamel ahead; assemble and refrigerate, then bake before serving.
  • For quicker prep, substitute marinara for homemade tomato sauce.
  • Skip béchamel by topping with feta or other salty cheese.
  • Use canned San Marzano tomatoes for richer flavor; avoid thin tomato sauce.
  • Freeze assembled papoutsakia (unbaked) for up to 3 months; bake from frozen with an extra 10 min.

Nutrition

Keywords: eggplant, papoutsakia, Greek stuffed eggplant, bechamel, ground beef

Find it online: https://zesticook.com/eggplant-papoutsakia/