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Cuban Eggplant

A Cuban-style stuffed eggplant with ground beef, onions, bread stuffing, milk, and parmesan cheese baked to a golden finish.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Cuban Eggplant

Oven400
Timeabout 20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggplant

  1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise.

  2. Scoop the center out and reserve for the filling, leaving 1/4" around the skin.

  3. Boil the skins at medium high heat for about 5 minutes.

  4. Place skins on a cookie sheet and drain them on several layers of paper towels.

Make the filling

  1. Sauté the onion in the butter in a 9" skillet for a few minutes, until onions are slightly translucent.

  2. Add the beef and cook stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes.

  3. Add to the skillet the reserved eggplant centers and cook until tender.

  4. Remove it from heat and while piping hot, add 1-1/2 cup bread stuffing, seasonings and milk.

  5. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

Stuff and bake

  1. Fill the eggplant skins with this mixture, being very careful not to break them.

  2. Sprinkle with the rest of the herbed bread stuffing and parmesan cheese.

  3. Preheat oven to 400 and bake the stuffed eggplants for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

901Calories
33 gProtein
28 gFat
128 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Eggplant1 cup cubed (82g)35
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Stuffingnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,232 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

  2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  3. Eggplant + peppertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,123 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  4. Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,163 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  5. Eggplant + oniontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together870 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggplants
Form the edible shell and the soft, moist filling that is scooped out and mixed back in.
Lean ground round
Adds savory meaty body and bulk to the filling.
White onions
Add aromatic sweetness and moisture as they soften in butter.
Unsalted butter
Carries the onions and adds richness and fat to the filling.
Herbed bread stuffing
Absorbs moisture and binds the filling, then forms a browned crumb topping.
Milk
Moistens the bread stuffing so the filling stays soft and cohesive.

The step that matters

Let the filling cool before stuffing the skins. Eggplant skins are thin and easily torn; a cooled, firmer filling holds its shape and is less likely to split the skins or release excess steam and liquid.

Swap the eggplant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, butter, bread, milk, pepper, parmesan cheese):

  1. Potatofits better
  2. Tomatofits better
  3. Capsicumfits better
  4. Eggplantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, butter, bread, milk, pepper, parmesan cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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