Stuffed Eggplants

I made stuffed eggplants for the first time ever and while I need to change a thing or two here and there, they came out pretty well. I've watched my mom make them a hundred or so times and they seemed easy enough, but it's just another thing that is going to take some tinkering with before it gets to the point where I'm happy with them. Anthony, my official taste-tester, loved them, but I feel like he's a little biased!

Stuffed Eggplants

Ingredients:

Fresh tomato sauce
Rice, cooked
Ground beef, browned and drained
Grated cheese (I used pecorino)
Eggplants
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Chop off top of eggplants and slice lengthwise so you have two equal halves.

3. Carve out the inside of the eggplant very carefully trying not to puncture the skin. Dice into small pieces in a large bowl.

4. Add the meat, rice, cheese, salt and pepper to the diced eggplants and mix well.

5. Using a casserole dish, spread some of the cooked tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Spoon eggplant mixture into the carved-out eggplant shells and place side by side into the casserole dish. Spoon another layer of tomato sauce over the entire dish.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until top layer appears slightly crusty. Buon Appetito!