The best eggplant recipes

Parmesan with eggplant

Alex Guarnaschelli's vegetarian dish, featuring three cheeses, a delicious homemade red sauce, and crispy fried eggplant slices, is a strong contender for any meat Parmigiana. Alex admits she'd choose this dish for her last meal on Earth—how could you argue with that?

Recipe: Parmesan with eggplant

Breaded eggplants baked in tomato sauce

Instead of frying eggplant, bake it in the oven. Thick slices will be just as soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, but you'll use much less oil.

Recipe: Breaded eggplants baked in tomato sauce

Oven-Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Jeff Mauro makes a quick, crispy Parmigiana that feeds ten. Best of all, it only takes half an hour.

Recipe: Oven-Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplants stuffed with ground beef

If your mom didn't make stuffed eggplant for dinner when you were a kid, this recipe will help you figure out what you were missing.

Recipe: Eggplants stuffed with ground beef

Meat casserole with eggplant and cheese

Giada De Laurentiis calls this her take on the classic Italian delicacy. And it's hard to argue: it's a hearty meatloaf with roasted eggplant, topped with mozzarella and a tomato-basil marinara sauce.

Recipe: Meat casserole with eggplant and cheese

Baked Eggplant with Parmesan

Layers of eggplant, Parmesan, mozzarella, and marinara sauce are undoubtedly delicious, but you'll love this quick sauce so much that you'll likely make it again and again. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Recipe: Baked Eggplant with Parmesan

Chili with black beans, lentils and eggplant

Give your usual chili a twist by adding hearty lentils and diced eggplant to the mix. The longer the chili simmers, the thicker it becomes.

Recipe: Chili with black beans, lentils and eggplant

Baked chicken with eggplant and cheese

This dish is also perfect for a sandwich: place a serving on a toasted soft whole grain bun.

Recipe: Baked chicken with eggplant and cheese

Eggplant casserole

The combination of ricotta, Parmesan, and a mixture of milk and cream gives Ina Garten's individual gratin a wonderfully delicate texture.

Recipe: Eggplant casserole

Roasted eggplant caponata

For a flavorful caponata, Aina roasts the eggplant whole. Follow her advice and pierce the eggplant all over with a fork before roasting—this will prevent it from exploding in the oven! Once the eggplant is done, the skin can be easily removed.

Recipe: Roasted eggplant caponata

Eggplant Parmesan

If you have time, salt the eggplant and let it rest for about an hour before breading and frying. The salt will help remove any bitterness. Simply rinse the eggplant with cold water and pat dry with a kitchen towel to avoid overly salty dishes.

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parma style

Bobby Flay's recipe has earned a 5-star rating on Foodnetwork, and reviews suggest it's no accident: his roasted pepper tomato sauce is a delicious complement to roasted eggplant.

Recipe: Eggplant Parma style

Vegetable meatballs made from eggplant and beans

Who said meatballs have to be meat? Not in Melissa De Arabian's recipe! Roasting the eggplant adds a meaty flavor that pairs perfectly with the marinara sauce.

Recipe: Vegetable meatballs made from eggplant and beans

Fried eggplant steaks with salad

Ree Drummond is married to a cattle rancher, so steaks are nothing new to her. But these steaks are made with eggplant and are so delicious that even the most ardent meat lovers will love them.

Recipe: Fried eggplant steaks with salad

Eggplants in a crispy crust with cheese

If you're not a fan of deep-frying, this recipe is for you: simply coat the eggplant with breadcrumbs and bake. Once the slices are crispy, top them with layers of sauce and mozzarella and bake under high heat until the cheese melts.

Recipe: Eggplants in a crispy crust with cheese

Fusilli pasta with eggplant and sausage

This easy pasta is perfect for both Wednesday dinner and weekend get-togethers. Fry diced eggplant with sweet Italian sausage for added flavor and texture.

Recipe: Fusilli pasta with eggplant and sausage

Oven-baked eggplant parmesan slices

Everything is better in miniature form—even Parmigiana. Giada's crispy rounds take just 35 minutes to prepare, making this delightful appetizer guests can eat with one hand.

Recipe: Oven-baked eggplant parmesan slices

Eggplant and cheese Napoleon

Create Trisha Yearwood's appetizer with layers of roasted eggplant, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Fresh basil leaves on top are the perfect finishing touch.

Recipe: Eggplant and cheese Napoleon

Grilled Parma Eggplant

Grilled eggplant adds a surprisingly delicious flavor to Valerie Bertinelli's dish—and it seemed like nothing could improve on the classic cheese parmigiana.

Recipe: Grilled Parma Eggplant

Oven-baked eggplant chips

Just one Japanese eggplant, a little cooking spray, and a pinch of salt—and you've got yourself some crispy chips. Try not to eat them all at once!

Recipe: Oven-baked eggplant chips