Oven Baked Eggplant with Cheese and Tomatoes {30 Min Keto Recipe}

The best oven baked eggplant with cheese and tomatoes recipe! Similar to keto eggplant pizza, roasted eggplant makes a healthy, low carb dinner everyone will love. This easy eggplant recipe needs just 7 ingredients + 30 minutes, the perfect easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights!

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Oven baked eggplant with cheese and tomatoes

When it comes to healthy eggplant recipes for dinner, oven baked eggplant with cheese is perfect! Roasted eggplant is nutritious and filling, which makes it great for feeding your family. It’s also very easy to make and packs a ton of flavour!

This simple keto eggplant recipe is topped with tomatoes, fresh herbs, and cheese. Almost like an eggplant pizza, which is what makes it so good! Cheesy baked eggplant also requires just one baking sheet, so cleanup is quick and hassle-free, too.

Why you will love this low carb eggplant recipe

My family is obsessed with this healthy baked eggplant recipe, and I want yours to love it too!

• minimal prep – Prep work for this cheesy eggplant is done in less than 10 minutes. Cutting the vegetables and cheese is all you have to do, your oven will take care of the rest.
• low carb 30 minute meal  – Who has time to stand in the kitchen on a busy weeknight and cook for hours? Not me! Aubergine mozzarella takes only 30 minutes from start to finish.
• low carb + keto – Oven baked eggplant is a healthy low carb dish and vegetarian keto dinner idea.
• great family meal – No matter how many mouths you have to feed, this low carb family meal is super easy to scale up or down.
• budget-friendly – This keto dinner is very cost efficient, made only with widely available and affordable ingredients. No need to buy expensive meat.
• great for lunch and dinner – Whether you need super quick dinner ideas or easy recipes for lunch, the dish is a tasty idea for many situations. Baked eggplant with cheese also stores well for a couple of days, so you can make it part of your weekly meal prep.

How to make oven baked eggplant with cheese

This baked eggplant recipe comes together in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect easy dinner idea for beginners or a light summer meal. Here’s how we make it:

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• Prep work. Preheat the oven to  400°F / 200°C / gas mark 6 and line a baking sheet/tray with parchment/baking paper or a silicone mat.
• Cut the eggplants. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into two halves.
• Prep for baking. Place the eggplant halves onto the baking sheet. Arrange them without touching, so that hot air can circulate. Brush generously with olive oil and season each half with fine sea salt and ground black pepper.
• Bake. Bake for 20 to 25 minute. The eggplant should be soft inside and with crispy edges.
• Slice the tomatoes and cheese. While the eggplant is roasting, cut the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into small slices.
• Arrange the topping. Then remove the eggplant halves from the oven. Top with tomato slices and mozzarella. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
• Finish baking. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are soft.
• Serve. Optionally, top the baked eggplants with fresh basil before serving.

And that’s how to bake eggplant in the oven. Serve with fresh salad on the side if you like!

Helpful tips for healthy baked eggplant

Do you have to peel eggplant before cooking?

No, you don’t have to peel the eggplant before cooking. The purple peel is edible and holds the fruit together. And no need to cut off the leafy end either, just leave it.

How to season baked eggplant

I kept the seasoning very simple in this vegetarian keto recipe. Fine sea salt, ground black pepper, olive oil and fresh basil bring out the aroma perfectly.

If you want to make the tasty eggplant recipe even more flavourful, sprinkle on some garlic powder or Italian seasoning after baking.

How long to bake eggplant

The cooking time for roasted eggplant depends on the size of the fruit. You want the inside soft and golden with crispy edges.

Medium-sized eggplants are done in about 20 to 25 minutes. Larger eggplants may take 25 to 35 minutes to bake.

Roasted eggplant variations

As I mentioned, this healthy eggplant dish is super customisable and here are some ideas how you can play with my keto eggplant recipe:

• cheese: Instead of mozzarella, top the baked eggplants with grated parmesan, Romano, asiago, or cheddar cheese. I used a mozzarella ball, but grated cheese will work just as fine.
• tomatoes: You can sub regular tomatoes with cheery tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes, or heirloom tomatoes. And in case fresh tomatoes aren’t an option, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons marinara sauce on the eggplant halves – the crispy baked eggplant will be even more like keto eggplant pizza!

Can you make baked eggplant ahead?

Simple baked eggplant is best made fresh, it takes just 10 minutes. But if you want to prep some ingredients ahead, cut the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into slices and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook the easy eggplant recipe.

Is eggplant keto friendly?

Can I eat eggplant on keto? Yes, eggplant is keto friendly and a great addition to the ketogenic diet! The nutritious fruit is low carb and very healthy. Eggplants are loaded with fibre and rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You can read more about the nutrition benefits of eggplant in this article.

Storage Instructions

How to store

Store leftover baked eggplant in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Let them cool first and then place them in an airtight container.

Can you freeze cheesy baked eggplant?

Yes, you can freeze this easy keto dinner recipe. Again, let the baked eggplant cool and place in an airtight container. Then freeze for up to 3 months. Just note that the texture of the eggplants will be softer after freezing.

Reheat leftovers

When you’re ready to eat your wholefood recipe, let the dish thaw and then reheat in a 350°F /180° C / gas mark 4 oven until hot.

More easy dinner recipes for families

Hungry for more? Have a look at these meal ideas and fast recipes:

• baked chicken drumsticks 
• ground beef casserole 
• Swedish meatballs
• zucchini frittata 
• cheesy chicken chops 
• one pot rice with chicken and peppers 
• chicken stroganoff 
• baked dover sole sheet pan 
• turkey cutlets with gravy

Tools to make healthy baked eggplant

These tools are handy for preparing this easy eggplant recipe:

• parchment/baking paper – Parchment/baking paper ensures that nothing sticks to the baking sheet/tray and makes clean-up easy.
• pastry brush – This silicone brush is super easy to clean afterwards.
• baking sheet/tray – This baking sheet/tray is a staple in my kitchen.

Over to you!

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Cyna xo