Recipe - Eggplant Pizzas

These did not look like a culinary masterpiece, but they sure tasted pretty darn good.  I thought of doing this a while back when I made the eggplant parm stacks.  They were delicious, but I wanted to see if I could get all the same flavor in something that was quicker to make.  The eggplant parm stacks were not difficult, they just took more prep and cook time.  These on the other hand were pretty easy.

The trick to this is the flavor.  You want to use garlic powder, onion powder and oregano (even basil and parsley would be good).  Whether you put those dried seasonings in the meat topping, or right on the sauce if you are not using meat, make sure you include them as eggplant can be bland.

I used 1 medium eggplant (this created 3 servings, so use a large if feeding 4 or 5).  I sliced it about 3/4" thick.  This will be the crust to your mini pizzas.

If you have never cooked with eggplant here is a tip - once you slice the eggplant, liberally dust with salt on both sides and put in a collinder/drainer/strainer.  Let sit for about a half an hour.  Rinse each slice and pat dry with paper towel.  This will remove and bitterness from the eggplant.

Preheat over to 425

Once you are ready to cook, brush (or spray if you have a misto) both sides of your eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook at 425 for about 8 minutes.  Remove the eggplant from the over, top with your favorite pizza toppings.  I used Trader Joe's organic tomato basil marinara, mozzarella cheese, a little raw parmesan, black olives and ground turkey (which I seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder and oregano).  If you are not putting any ground meat on them, I suggest using those seasonings right on top of the sauce for yummy flavor.  Other ideas I had were carmelized onions, or uncurred bacon and pineapple, or basil leaves, mushrooms, the list goes on, use whatever you like on pizza :)

Place back in the oven for about 5-6 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 1 minute to get the cheese fully melted.

I served mine with a spring mix with olive oil and vinegar.