Melitzanes Me Feta: Baked Eggplant With Feta Cheese

By
Nancy Gaifyllia
Nancy Gaifyllia
A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties.
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Updated on 02/8/21
Melitzanes Me Feta: Baked Eggplant With Feta Cheese

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
247 Calories
20g Fat
14g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 247
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 284mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 10mg 51%
Calcium 159mg 12%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 304mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Eggplant, tomatoes, and feta cheese are three ingredients that are ubiquitous to Greek cuisine, and this dish of melitzanes me feta (eggplant with feta) brings them together beautifully. Slices of eggplant are first pan-fried and then layered with a tomato-herb mixture; the dish is then topped with feta and baked until golden and bubbling. Serve as an appetizer, side dish, or meatless main dish.

This is a perfect recipe to make toward the end of summer when the garden is bursting with tomatoes, fresh herbs, and eggplant, but if you are making this another time of year, choose bright red tomatoes such as those sold on the vine.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds eggplant (long slender type)

  • Olive oil for frying

  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes (diced)

  • 5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

  • 5 cloves garlic (minced)

  • Dash of sea salt

  • Dash of freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 pound feta cheese (crumbled)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Melitzanes Me Feta: Baked Eggplant With Feta Cheese ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C). Wash the eggplants and remove the stems.

    Wash the eggplants and remove the stems

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices.

    Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Pour oil into a frying pan up to 1/4 inch and heat over medium heat.

    Pour oil into a frying pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Lightly fry the eggplant until soft and gently browned.

    Lightly fry the eggplant

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Layer the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish.

    Layer the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

    combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Spoon the mixture over the eggplant.

    Spoon the mixture over the eggplant

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Top with the feta cheese and bake for 45 minutes.

    Melitzanes Me Feta: Baked Eggplant With Feta Cheese

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Eggplant Tips

  • In this recipe, there are not any instructions for salting and rinsing the eggplant. Salting is recommended to remove the bitterness from the vegetable, which usually comes from the brown seeds in larger eggplants. Not only are most varieties of eggplant free of bitterness these days, but the small ones never really needed ​salting to begin with.
  • That being said, salting the eggplant slices will help prevent them from soaking up too much oil when frying. If you're concerned about soggy, greasy eggplant, sprinkle salt over the slices about an hour before frying. This causes the air pockets in the eggplant to collapse, eliminating spaces for the oil to collect.
  • Other ways to assure crispy and not oily eggplant is to microwave the slices or soak in milk before frying. Brushing the slices with oil, instead of submerging in oil, and then placing in the frying pan will also help to deter the eggplant from acting like a sponge.

Recipe Variation

  • This recipe will also work with zucchini; substitute for the eggplant or do a combination of the two.
  • If you don't have or care for feta, you can use a different cheese such as mozzarella or even blue cheese. It will no longer be the traditional Greek dish but it will be delicious.