Baby Eggplant Mozzarella Bites are an easy veggie dish for two! Eggplant slices are covered with Italian sauce and mozzarella, then baked.
How I Got This Eggplant Recipe
One of our neighbors, Mary, who also has a small raised bed garden invited me over to pick some of her blueberries. While there I asked her about a pretty flowering plant she had (thinking it was a flower!).
She explained to me that it was a plant called a patio baby eggplant. What? I had never even heard of a miniature eggplant (also called Baby or Italian eggplant). I’ve never seen them in the grocery store, either!
She showed me the tiny 3″ long veggies growing under the leaves, then cut off three of them for me to take home. Mary also told me a good way to bake them (similar to eggplant parmesan, but quicker and less steps).
When I got home, I made this side dish to go with our dinner, while her “recipe” was fresh in my brain. This is the result, and my husband and I LOVED them! Here’s how to make baby eggplant mozzarella bites.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Patio Baby Italian Eggplant?
Baby eggplants grow easily on beautiful, flowering plants. The plants produce pretty purple flowers, and very small “miniature” eggplants.
Baby eggplants are also commonly referred to as “Italian” eggplant. These little eggplants are typically harvested when they’ve grown to 2 to 3 inches long.
Their shiny purple skin is a tip-off that they are ripe, as well. The outside beautiful purple skin tends to get dull in color as they become overly mature (past their prime).
These little bitty eggplants are perfect for slicing and roasting, because their outside peel and flesh is quite tender. They can be cooked fairly quickly, due to their small size.
Prepare The Eggplant
Rinse and dry each eggplant, then cut off the stem end. Cut the mini eggplants into circular slices, approximately 1/4″ to 1/3″ wide.
Lay the slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer, fairly close together.
Time For Some Sauce!
Spoon a little bit of marinara sauce on top of each eggplant slice, using only enough sauce to almost cover each piece.
Sprinkle each slice with shredded mozzarella cheese, enough to cover the sauce. Carefully push the slices even closer together before adding shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake The Baby Eggplant Mozzarella Bites
Bake the baby eggplant mozzarella bites in a preheated 425°F. oven for 10-11 minutes, or until tender. Check for tenderness by inserting a butter knife into a slice. It should go into the eggplant slice very easily.
The cheese should be fully melted and lightly browned, as well. Grab a spatula to remove the baby eggplant mozzarella bites from the baking sheet.
Serve And Enjoy!
Transfer the baby eggplant mozzarella bites (using a spatula) from the lined baking sheet to individual plates.
Divide the eggplant slices evenly, to ensure two servings. Serve hot with a favorite main dish, and enjoy (we had salmon and a green salad on the side!
The eggplant bites are very tender, and flavored well with the Italian marinara sauce and melted cheese! YUM. They are so good!
I hope you have the chance to try this recipe for baby eggplant mozzarella bites, and trust you’ll enjoy it as much as we do. This recipe (which serves 2) can easily be doubled or tripled for larger families.
If you love traditional Eggplant Parmesan, you can check out my recipe post for that classic version right HERE.
I’m sure I’ll be planting seeds to grow patio-sized baby eggplants next year in our own backyard raised bed garden, and look forward to enjoying this dish many times in the future.
Thanks for stopping by. I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More VEGGIE SIDE DISH Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a terrific variety of veggie side dish recipes to choose from, including:
- Double Stuffed Potatoes
- Crispy Green Bean Fries
- Cranberry Caramel Apple Yams
- Apple Pecan Stuffed Acorn Squash
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Recipe source: My neighbor, Mary P.
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Baby Eggplant Mozzarella Bites are an easy veggie dish for two! Eggplant slices are covered with Italian sauce and mozzarella, then baked.
- 3 baby Italian eggplants each about 2"-3" inch long
- ⅓ cup marinara sauce approximate
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese or more, as desired
Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse/dry eggplants. Cut stem end off each eggplant. Cut into circular slices between 1/4" and 1/3" wide.
Lay eggplant slices on prepared baking sheet in a single layer, close together. Spoon marinara sauce on each slice, using only enough to almost cover each one. Sprinkle each slice with shredded mozzarella cheese, enough to cover sauce.
Bake at 425°F. for 10-11 minutes, or until tender. Check tenderness by inserting a knife into a slice. Cheese should be melted/lightly browned, as well.
Use spatula to transfer eggplant bites to plates. Serve hot, and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
