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Italian Stuffed Eggplant with Sausage & Rice

Stacey Pirtle

by Stacey Updated: Feb 10, 2023

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This post may contain affiliate links.

Intensely flavorful, this savory Italian Stuffed Eggplant recipe is made from roasted eggplant filled with a comforting, hearty mixture of spicy sausage, brown rice, diced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, all topped with a crispy Panko topping.

Stuffed eggplant stuffed Italian sausage and rice

Anything stuffed is absolutely amazing to serve! And that definitely is the case with these golden, crispy Italian Stuffed Eggplants. We’re talking serious next-level eggplant parmesan here!

The sausage and brown rice stuffing creates such a cozy comfort food feel with such satisfyingly savory flavors that you might forget this dish is all about the eggplant. And that’s ok! Made like a twice baked potato, these eggplant boats deliver the good stuff in spades and will have your family asking for veggies all the time!

Related Recipes: 7 Recipes To Sneak In Your Veggies

Stuffed Eggplant Ingredients

  • medium sized eggplants- more long than round
  • ground sausage
  • yellow onion
  • minced garlic
  • Italian seasoning
  • diced tomatoes
  • brown rice
  • eggs
  • shredded parmesan
  • salt & pepper

If you love our #1 Louisiana Dirty Rice Recipe, you’ll love these sausage stuffed eggplants!

how to make eggplant boats and stuff them

How to Make Sausage Stuffed Eggplant

Make the eggplant boats. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a paring knife to make an incision around the inside of the eggplant (about ¼-1/2 inch in), marking the center portion you will scoop out. Then make horizontal and vertical slices in the “to-be-scooped” center portion to make the center easier to scoop out after roasting. Just be careful to not cut the skin.

Brush both skin and flesh sides of the eggplants with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. After baking, use a spoon to scoop scored insides out of eggplant halves to create boats. Use a fork to mash up the scooped insides.

Make the stuffing. Brown sausage and onion in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Drain away excess fat. Return to skillet but not to heat. Add in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Stir in drained tomatoes, cooked rice and parmesan cheese. Mix in mashed eggplant and beaten eggs as a binder.

Assemble. Generously stuff empty boats with filling. Mix together panko and parsley. Top each boat with lots of bread crumbs. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake. Put back into 350° oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven when bread crumbs are golden brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. (Eggplant boats might need a couple of minutes under the oven’s broiler to achieve desired browness.)

eggplant boats stuffed with a sausage, rice and tomato mixture

What To Serve With Stuffed Eggplant

These rice and sausage eggplants are really a complete meal all unto themselves. Meat, starch, veggies. Check, check, check. However if you feel like your eggplant looks too lonely on the plate by itself, consider serving it with:

  • Simple Green Salad with Mayo Vinaigrette
  • Italian Green Bean Salad
  • Broccoli Apple Slaw
  • even a hot bowl of Creamy Tomato Basil Soup + salad!

How to Store, Freeze & Reheat

Stuffed eggplant actually stores, freezes and reheats well. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator covered tightly for 2-3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. (I prefer the oven over the microwave for this dish to keep the panko topping crisp.)

If you want to make a meal in advance or make a full recipe but freeze half for later, stuffed eggplant is good for that too! Simply put together these sausage & rice eggplant boats and freeze the ones you want to save before baking them. Just leave off the panko topping, wrap tightly, and they should keep for about 2 months.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, add panko topping with butter and bake according to recipe.

eggplant boats stuffed with sausage and tomatoes and topped with crispy panko topping

Other Rice & Sausage Recipes You’ll Love

  • Louisiana Dirty Rice
  • Beef & Mushroom Rice
  • Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage & Spinach
  • Easy Louisiana Sausage Jambalaya
  • Louisiana Dirty Rice Stuffed Peppers

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!

RATE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT OR SNAP A PHOTO.

Tag me on Instagram at #southerndiscourse
Stuffed eggplant stuffed Italian sausage and rice

Italian Stuffed Eggplant with Sausage & Rice

Intensely flavorful, this savory Italian Stuffed Eggplant recipe is made from roasted eggplant filled with a comforting, hearty mixture of spicy sausage, brown rice, diced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, all topped with a crispy Panko topping.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: comfort food
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Stacey | SouthernDiscourse.com

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants, halved and scored
  • olive oil, extra salt & pepper
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1.5 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Panko Topping

  • ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a paring knife to make an incision around the inside of the eggplant (about ¼-1/2 inch in), marking the center portion you will scoop out. Use the knife to make horizontal and vertical slices in the "to-be-scooped" center portion to make the center easier to scoop out after roasting. Do not cut the skin.
  • Brush both skin and flesh sides of the eggplants with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  • While eggplants are roasting, brown sausage and onion in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Drain away excess fat. Return to skillet but not to heat. Add in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Stir in drained tomatoes, cooked rice and parmesan cheese. Mix in beaten eggs as a binder and set aside.
  • Use a spoon to scoop scored insides out of eggplant halves to create boats. Use a fork to mash up the scooped insides. Stir mashed eggplant into the sausage rice mixture to complete filling. Generously stuff empty boats with filling.
  • Mix together panko and parsley. Top each boat generously with bread crumbs. Drizzle with melted butter. Put back into 350° oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven when bread crumbs are golden brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

You may need to put the boats under a broiler for a few minutes to achieve the golden brown topping desired.
Stuffed eggplant stuffed Italian sausage and rice
Did you make my Italian Stuffed Eggplant with Sausage & Rice?Show me how it went! Share on Instagram, tag @southerndiscourse, and use the hashtag #SouthernDiscourse!
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Intensely flavorful, this savory Italian Stuffed Eggplant recipe is made from roasted eggplant filled with a comforting, hearty mixture of spicy sausage, brown rice, diced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, all topped with a crispy Panko topping.

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Meet Stacey

Southern Discourse is a place where you can find southern family dishes, along with special recipes & table settings. Bringing connection & friendship back to the table by wrapping everything in the faith & grace from which true hospitality springs! Read More

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Meet Stacey

Southern Discourse is a place where you can find southern family dishes, along with special recipes & table settings. Bringing connection & friendship back to the table by wrapping everything in the faith & grace from which true hospitality springs! Read More

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