5 Ingredients or Fewer

Edna Holland’s Three Ingredient Eggplant

by:
October  4, 2022
0
0 Ratings
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Edna was not my own mother, but matriarch to the 6 generations who have been my next door neighbors... well, forever. In the tiny seasonal community of Dinkey Creek, California - where we kids roamed the mountainside in a pack, where every “mom” had equal disipine authority to your own, and where shared dinners were the norm - Edna’s recipes were the gold standard. They still are nearly 80 years on... I bet half the families on the creek don’t even know eggplant can be cooked another way. And why should they? It's creamy and crunchy, so simple it’s barely a recipe, and totally scalable. —Katelong01

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 Large globe eggplants
  • 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan
  • 3/4 cup Mayonaise
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment (optional, but adds to the ease).
  2. Mix equal parts mayo and parm. (You can adjust the amount of the parm/mayo mixture easily if you're feeding a larger crowd; leftover mix makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich spread.)
  3. Slice eggplant thickly- 3/4 to 1”. (Edna peeled hers; I don’t.)
  4. Slather the parm/mayo on both sides of each eggplant slice and place on baking tray.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees about 15-20 minutes; until brown, bubbly, and soft when pierced by a fork. Gently remove from tray with a spatula (to keep the underside’s crust intact.)
  6. Serving options: A side dish, a burger layer, on a salad, or layer with ripe summer tomatoes and basil leaves (delicious and fancy looking to boot).
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2 Reviews

Katelong01
Katelong01 July 20, 2018
Your family had the right idea, Dinaofdoom... the parm/mayo mix is great as the fat on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich... I hope you try it on eggplant. Not a surprise to you I'm sure: Plain mayo (eggs, oil, salt) and grated block parm will make a big difference over the ole' standbys of Kraft and Miracle Whip. More umami.
 
dinaofdoom
dinaofdoom July 20, 2018
Interesting-- my family used mix Miracle Whip and Kraft parmesan, slather it on Wonder Bread, and toast it. This sounds WAY better.