Papoutsakia (Stuffed Eggplant)

Papoutsakia means "little shoes" in Greek, though it's sometimes translated as "eggplant slippers." This is basically moussaka rearranged — and much easier to make because there's no need to slice, salt, and roast or fry each slice of eggplant and potato.

Just roast whole eggplants, cut in half, stuff with prepared meat sauce, top with bechamel, throw some potato wedges in the pan, and roast!

Making the Meat Sauce

This is the same versatile meat sauce used for moussaka and pastitsio. I usually make it in bulk and freeze the extra.

1. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and heat over medium.

2. Sauté onion until translucent and golden.

3. Add ground beef and sauté until browned.

4. Add wine. When the juices have boiled away (30 seconds to a minute), add milk.

5. About a minute later, add the tomato, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

6. Slowly simmer for at least an hour. For deeper flavor, simmer for 4-5 hours.

Making the Bechamel

1. Warm the milk — heat in the microwave on high for 1 minute per cup of milk.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan.

3. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the melted butter.

4. Whisk flour into the melted butter until combined.

5. Add warm milk to the foamy butter-flour mixture and whisk constantly until it thickens.

6. Remove from heat. Once slightly cooled, add the beaten eggs and stir until fully incorporated.

Preparing the Eggplant

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Place whole eggplants on a baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, until soft when pierced.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut eggplants in half lengthwise.

4. Carefully scoop out some of the flesh, leaving about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of shell. Drain any excess liquid and lightly salt the insides.

5. Mash the scooped eggplant pulp and mix it into the meat sauce directly in the eggplant half.

Assembling

1. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Place the hollowed eggplant halves in a large roasting pan.

3. Prepare as outlined above, mashing pulp and mixing generously with meat sauce until full.

4. Fill each eggplant half generously with the meat sauce mixture.

5. Cover each half with a generous spoonful of bechamel sauce.

6. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

7. Cut potatoes lengthwise into wedges and arrange around the stuffed eggplants in the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.

Baking

Roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour at 375°F, until the eggplant tops are golden brown and the potato wedges are cooked through.

Why This is Easier Than Moussaka

No slicing multiple eggplants. No salting and draining. No frying potato slices. The whole eggplant roasts while you make the sauce, then everything comes together quickly.

Same delicious flavors, half the work.

Serving

Serve each person one stuffed eggplant half with potato wedges on the side. A simple green salad rounds out the meal.

Related Recipes

This uses the same meat sauce and bechamel as:

• Moussaka — The layered casserole version
• Pastitsio — With penne pasta instead of eggplant