Baked Eggplant with Garlic Cheese Topping

Hello folks and welcome back!  We’re making Baked Eggplant with Garlic Cheese in the All Things Southern kitchen today. My man hasn’t been a big fan of eggplant in the past but this recipe has changed his mind.

“Baked Eggplant with Garlic Cheese Topping”

1 large eggplant
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
1 tablespoon pesto
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces garlic cheese

I’ve already trimmed the stem off our eggplant and halved it lengthwise. Then I took a knife and made slices in the pulp for the moisture to escape–like you might do with a pie crust.  I sprinkled both halves with salt and let ’em rest a half hour or so. A bit of water will form on the top and we’ll blot it with a paper towel. Now, we’ll put our eggplants on a baking sheet, brush ’em really well with olive oil and slide ’em in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until they’re tender.

While our eggplant bakes, we’ll prepare the topping. I’ve got a couple tablespoons of chopped fresh basil and a cup of cherry tomatoes that I’ve diced. Now, we’ll grate four ounces of this garlic cheese. I’ve also taken a teaspoon of pesto and mixed it with a 1/2 teaspoon or so of balsamic vinegar. Once our eggplant is tender, we’ll cover them with the tomatoes, and drizzle ’em with this pesto and vinegar.  We’ll layer our garlic cheese over it next and sprinkle with our chopped basil. Bake another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted!

I hope you enjoy my Baked Eggplant with Garlic Cheese Topping, folks. It’s good eating, from the All Things Southern kitchen to yours!