There’s nothing we love more than a creative take on a familiar recipe. So far this summer, we've been influenced to try a new cucumber salad recipe, a fun take on zucchini boats and a super easy (and very delicious) peach dessert .
And just when we thought we might be done with viral summer recipes, we were reminded about a great one from one of our favorite food creators, Diane Morrisey . Last year she had us making zucchini fries with her delicious comeback sauce . Diane’s creative approach to cooking is part of what inspires us to keep trying new recipes, and one of her posts has us sprinting to the grocery store to pick up some eggplant .
Whether it's grilled, roasted, toasted or sautéed, eggplant adapts extremely well to a wide variety of flavors and cooking styles. It absorbs flavors and is great in a stir-fry , a casserole or pasta dishes. One of our favorite eggplant dishes is eggplant parmesan , and thanks to Morrisey we have a new version to try at home.
On her Instagram and TikTok, Morrisey mentioned that the hasselback eggplant recipe was one of her most popular recipes of 2023—and we've gotta say that ever since we saw it we've been waiting for prime eggplant season.
Morrisey credits Natali from @cooking__diaries_ for the tasty new eggplant creation. She said that she was scrolling through her Explorer page and came across Natli’s Cheesy Baked Hasselback Eggplant and was “instantly smitten.” Morrisey explains how Natali’s recipe is “relatively simple to assemble,” and requires only a “handful of ingredients” to recreate. She signs off the caption to her post saying, “if you are a fan of eggplant, you will love this.”
Related: Crispy, Crunchy Fried Eggplant is the Summer Side We Can't Get Enough Of
@lowcarb.jiji Cheesy Baked Hasselback Eggplant by @dianemorrisey . . 1 large eggplant 2 Roma tomatoes 1 block mozzarella cheese, sliced 10 basil leaves 2 cloves of garlic, sliced into slivers salt and black pepper to taste 2 cups marinara (homemade or store bought) 3 tbls olive oil 1/4 cup chopped parsley Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside. Wash and dry the eggplant. Slice the eggplant lengthways without cutting the stem all the way through (the stem should remain intact) Lightly press on the stem of the eggplant to open it. Season with salt and let rest for 20 minutes. Dry the eggplants with paper towels and lay on the baking sheet. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella thinly. Spoon each slice of eggplant with tomato sauce. Layer the tomato, cheese slices and garlic slivers between each eggplant slice (I used 2 pieces of mozzarella and 2 slices of tomato in between each). Slide some basil leaves in between each slice as well. Lightly salt and pepper the top and drizzle with olive oil. (I also like to finish with a sprinkle of chili flakes) Bake for 40 minutes or so (will depend on your oven and the size of the eggplant) or until the eggplant is soft and the cheese is melty. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley . 🙋Don’t forget to Get FREE eBook 🎁📩 "Ketogenic Diet: 365 Days of Keto, Low-Carb Recipes for Rapid Weight Loss" are available. Click the link in my Bio @lowcarb.jiji👆 Follow us For Daily Healthy Recipes To Weight Loss & Healthy Lifestyle🥑💯 • • • ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ #ketogenicliving #ketogenicdiet #ketodiet #ketosis #ketoweightloss #ketorecipes #ketofam #ketofamily #ketoeats #ketofood #ketofriendly #ketojourney #ketolifestyle #ketocommunity #easyketo #ketosnacks #ketomeals
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How to Make Cheesy Baked Hasselback Eggplant
The full recipe can be found in the caption to Diane’s post, but you'll need a large eggplant, some Roma tomatoes, a block of mozzarella cheese (sliced), basil leaves, sliced garlic, marinara sauce, olive oil and chopped parsley. Start by preheating the oven to 375° and lining a baking tray with parchment paper.
Wash the eggplant, then cut it lengthwise into thick slices, being careful not to cut through the stem. Lightly press on the stem of the eggplant to encourage the slices to open like a fan. Salt the eggplant, which will improve the flavor and texture, and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Pat it dry with paper towel and put in on your baking sheet.
Spoon some marinara between each eggplant slice, then layer on the tomato and cheese slices, as well as some thinly sliced garlic. Add some basil leaves between the slices, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. If you want an extra kick, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes.
Bake the eggplant until it's soft and tender and the cheese is melty, about 40 minutes. Once it's out of the oven, sprinkle it with chopped parsley and dig in. Repeat as needed until eggplant season ends.
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