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Sweet Buttered Polenta Pancakes with Fresh Summer Berries.
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So this is how I am dealing with it still being summer and all the fall-like weather we have been having.
I am making summer foods the cozy way – and loving it so much!
I should add that I really love cozy foods at any time of the year, but at least this way I am still getting my fill of my beloved summer produce!
Actually, the weather here the last two days has been pretty nice, but at the time I was making these it was raining, dark and forty degrees, so I think you can understand my desire to do some roasting in the oven.
I am sorry if it is blazing hot where you are (lucky!!) and you cannot even fathom the idea of turning on the oven. To be honest, I do not even know what that feels like, so it is hard for me to relate (Ok, I did go to Florida this summer, but my grandma keeps the house VERY air-conditioned so it is not like I was suffering from the heat while inside). Where I live, it is never too hot for a little oven action. Did you know that none of the houses or businesses are even built with air conditioning? Yep, at least I never have to worry about going anywhere and having the A/C blasting out too cold air on me. Up here we just open up the windows and a cool mountain breeze will take care of any excess heat.
Ok, now you are all probably hating me because you are sweating your butts off. I am sorry, maybe you could send your heat my way and I’ll share some cool mountain air with you?
Wouldn’t that be nice if we could work that out?
Really though, these cute little boats are chock full of garden veggies. They are a lot lighter than your typical “it’s mid winter and all I want is an extra cozy, extra saucy and extra cheesy lasagna”. I will even go as far as saying these are extra healthy. That is of course if you consider a little cheese healthy, which I do.
This was my first time really roasting eggplant, and you know, I think eggplant is really starting to grow on me. Once it’s roasted it takes on a whole new life. Then I piled on a delicious meat sauce with spicy italian chicken sausage. One of my little secrets about meat sauce is that I pretty much always use a sausage instead of just plain beef. I find that the sausage adds so much more flavor and I always like a little spice too.
These do take a little time to make, but it is mostly time spent roasting. Nothing hard or complicated about them. I know that some people are pretty serious about salting their eggplants before cooking, but I just did not feel like taking the time to do that. If you would like to, go for it, but mine turned out great minus any pre-soaking/salting.
Also, if you really cannot get your head around the idea of turning on your oven, grilling the eggplant would be a great idea. I have never tried it, but you can probably even wrap the garlic in foil and grill that as well. Maybe just rotate it 3-4 times throughout grilling to make sure one side doesn’t get burnt. Then you can cook the sauce on the stove and melt the cheese by placing the boats back on the grill for five minutes or so. That should do the trick. So there, then you will not even have to turn the oven on. A solution for all.
These are definitely a meal on their own, but I served them with a side of whole grain pasta and a simple summer salad. Kind of perfect for entertaining because they are fun, easy and you can prepare the boats in advance. Just warm them up to melt the cheese prior to serving.
If some of you eggplant lasagna boat eaters really aren’t into chicken, try swapping extra veggies and lentils into the sauce. Maybe even add some extra spices and you’ll have the perfect vegetable eggplant lasagna. Ya!
Man, I am just full of alternatives. It’s that whole pleasing everyone thing, I like to do it as much as possible. I just can’t help it.
No lie though, these are so stinkin good. And really, I just want everyone to be able to enjoy them like I really do!!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Now can we just make these and pretend it’s Friday already (sorry, lasagna just seems like a Friday meal to me)? Well at least we’re almost there – happy Thursday!
I love ANYTHING that involves eggplant!! This looks so delicious Tieghan!
I thought you might like this! 🙂
Thanks Laura!
I love the pan and I love that you used eggplant. It is my favorite vegetable 🙂
Thanks so much!
I adore eggplant! These look so fantastic. How is it that I pretty much want to make every single recipe you make. I’m kinda starting to wish I just lived at your house! lol.
Hehe! 🙂
Thank you so much, Michelle!
Mann, why do you have to make everying look so sinfully delicious! That cheese…
THANK YOU! 🙂
Love, love eggplants! This is an awesome twist. Pinning it 🙂
Thanks so much! 🙂
Love this idea, T! Looks so delicious! I can’t wait to make it!
Thank you, Liz! 🙂
There was an eggplant in our CSA share this week – now I know how to use it!
Perfect! Let me know if you make these. Thanks! 🙂
I love dishes that mix veggies and meat, but where the veggies are still the star, this looks fabulous! Love the photos, too, can’t decide which to pin 😉
Awe! Than you so much! 🙂
Yea it’s definitely still warm here although it’s been cooler which is nice so that I can open windows and turn off the AC int he morning and night. Still too hot mid-day though. Love these eggplant boats!
Thanks Erin!
Love this idea to use EGGPLANTS!! Brilliant!! I never know what to use eggplants for besides eggplant parm – so this is definitely another alternative!
Thanks Julie! Happy Friday!
I can’t WAIT to make this! I love the roasted garlic mix spread on the eggplant under the sauce, yum! And yep, I always use sausage instead of beef in my red sauce, so much BETTER!
Jenna
So much better! Glad you agree!
Thanks!
What a tasty way to enjoy eggplant!
Thanks Kevin!
This looks incredible and the combo of flavors is spot on!
Thanks Kathy!
I can just imagine the flavorful goodness of these eggplant lasagna and eggplant has never looked so GOOD! Thank you for the recipe!!
Thank you for checking the recipe out! 🙂
I love eggplant and I never thought to do them this way I am so going to try this. I got some small eggplants in my CSA so I could make them into individual portions which would be cute. Thanks for the great recipe.
Smaller eggplants is actually what I wanted, but I could not find any. Yours will be so cute!