Melitzanes Me Feta: Baked Eggplant With Feta Cheese Recipe
Melitzanes Me Feta is a classic Greek dish that combines tender pan-fried eggplant slices layered with a fresh tomato, garlic, and basil mixture, all topped with crumbled feta cheese and baked to golden perfection. Perfect as an appetizer, side, or vegetarian main, this recipe beautifully highlights the flavors of summer garden vegetables in a simple and satisfying way.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 65 mins
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Frying and Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 2 pounds long slender eggplant
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
- 5 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
Other Ingredients
- Olive oil for frying (about 1/4 inch depth in pan)
- Dash of sea salt
- Dash of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Collect all ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) to prepare for baking.
- Prepare Eggplant: Wash the eggplants thoroughly and remove the stems.
- Slice Eggplant: Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices for even frying.
- Heat Oil: Pour enough olive oil into a frying pan to reach a depth of 1/4 inch and heat it over medium heat.
- Fry Eggplant: Lightly fry the eggplant slices in the hot oil until they become soft and gently browned on both sides. Remove and drain if necessary.
- Layer Eggplant: Arrange the fried eggplant slices evenly in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Make Tomato Mixture: In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, chopped basil, minced garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste, mixing well.
- Assemble Dish: Spoon the tomato and herb mixture evenly over the layered eggplant in the baking dish.
- Add Feta Cheese: Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese generously over the tomato layer.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes until the feta cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve warm as an appetizer, side, or vegetarian main dish.
Notes
- Salting the eggplant slices about an hour before frying can reduce bitterness and prevent them from absorbing too much oil.
- To avoid greasy eggplant, consider microwaving or soaking the slices in milk before frying.
- Brushing eggplant slices with olive oil instead of deep frying can also help maintain a less oily texture.
- This recipe works well with zucchini as a substitute or mixed with eggplant.
- If feta cheese is unavailable or not preferred, mozzarella or blue cheese can be excellent alternatives, although it won’t be a traditional Greek dish.
Keywords: Melitzanes Me Feta, Greek baked eggplant, feta cheese recipe, vegetarian Greek recipe, eggplant side dish, summer vegetable bake
