Flash freezing is the reason why your frozen peas pour out of the bag individually instead of in a big clump. It’s so easy to freeze many fruits and vegetables this way. You can also prep meaty foods like burgers, chicken strips and the like to take advantage of bulk sales. Right now many of us are inundated with late season vegetables. We’re going to turn a flexitarian favorite, eggplant, into savory eggplant meatballs that will be flash frozen and used to make a variety of meals.
Is it eggplant meatballs or eggplant balls?
Ok, so technically these are actually eggplant balls since there’s no meat in them, but why quibble? Call them what you want, just be sure to make a batch or two.
Serve your eggplant balls as you would any meatball. In the photo above, they’re served with a gotta-try-it Thai coconut sauce from Haute & Healthy Living. We’ve also had them on rolls with tomato sauce and provolone cheese for a veggie take on the famous sub. They’re also great served like Spanish style albóndigas with almonds, olives, cheese, my red pepper jam and of course a good wine.
While we generally enjoy our eggplant balls alone or with sauce, they can easily be served with pasta or rice to make up a more substantial meal.
Benefits of Freezer Friendly Cooking
- Doubling or tripling a recipe and freezing the extra potions for later saves money and effort.
- Less labor intensive than Once A Month or Once a Week cooking.
- Over time you’ll have a nice variety of prepared-by-you food to eat.
- Smaller batches means food rotates out of the freezer quickly.
- Helps keep you on track when you don’t feel like cooking.
Are you ready to make a batch of eggplant balls?
You’ll find the original recipe in Mark Bittman’s VB6 Cookbook. The first time I made these I didn’t have the white beans called for in the recipe so some mushrooms that were in danger of being neglected were used instead. They worked so well, I’ve added them ever since.
Ingredients
- 1 lb eggplant unpeeled, and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 1 - 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley you can also use 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
- other herbs as desired I tend to keep mine neutral flavored
- bread crumbs
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, saute the onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil seasoned with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Add the eggplant and mushrooms when the onions take on a golden color. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of water and reduce the heat. Continue to cook, covered, until the eggplant has softened, about 15 minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly then, working in batches as necessary, use a food processor to finely chop and blend the ingredients. You don't want large chunks, but you don't want a puree, either.
- As the mix is processed, transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add the parsley and enough breadcrumbs to make a mix that can be formed into balls.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
- Form the mix into any size balls you like.
- Unlike conventional meatballs, these freeze better if cooked first. Cook them at 400°F for 25 minutes or until they've browned and firmed up. They tend to stick, so use a lot of oil or a silicone mat.
- After the meatballs have cooled, place them in the freezer for at least an hour, no need to remover them from the baking tray if it fits. Then transfer them to freezer bags or containers for long term storage.
Having ready to go food in the freezer was always a lifesaver when my children were small. Nowadays I find it helps me continue to eat the flexitarian way by having several veggie based meals ready to heat and eat.
Make a batch of #meatless eggplant balls and freeze them to use in a variety of meals. #flexitarianClick To TweetMore freezer friendly flexitarian food:
I liked it I didn’t put mushrooms in it was a little soft but didn’t fall apart
Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Carl! Have a great week 🙂
I’m not sure how I failed, but these meatballs failed to pull together. I tried adding a ton of breadcrumbs (and even crushed pork rinds, because we’re supposed to be on Keto here). But they didn’t really come together as a solid. I tried baking them foreeeeeever, and even at a higher heat, but they were still really soft. I wish they’d worked, as they seemed so promising, and we have a ton of eggplant in our garden right now.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Krystyna. I hope you try the recipe again.
From your description it sounds like your eggplant/mushroom mix was too wet so when the breadcrumbs were added they didn’t hold their shape after the liquid was absorbed. You want a wet mix but not a lot of free running juices. It’s difficult to predict for a given batch because the eggplant, mushrooms and onions will all release some water.
If you make another attempt, either cook off the excess liquid or strain the mix through a colander before adding just enough breadcrumbs to form balls that hold together.
Good luck!
EXCELLENT USE OF EGGPLANT. I’M NOT VEGETARIAN SO I ADDED ONE EGGS TO HELP THE MEATBALLS STICK TOGETHER. I CAN EAT PLAIN WITHOUT SAUCE.
Adding eggs is a good idea, Janie! I hope you enjoyed the eggplant meatballs! 🙂
These look great! I want to freeze them. Do I thaw overnight? I would like to heat them up in a tomato sauce, will they hold together? OR bake them and pour sauce over them? thanks!
Hi Carol, thanks for your question! I’ve never bothered to thaw them overnight. If going into a pan, I’ll let them thaw for an hour or two. And if going into a sauce I’ll pull them right out of the freezer and let them simmer in the sauce until warmed through. They’ll hold together as long as the cooking (and stirring) is gentle. Good luck!
Hi I am throwing a party and will have a couple vegans in attendance. Would these work for a vegan friendly appetizer? What sauce do you think would be good with them?
Yes, these are vegan as written, but omnivores seem to like them, too 🙂 Besides the red pepper jam and the thai coconut sauce linked to in the post, the red pepper sauce in this post is vegan and goes really well with eggplant. You might be able to find the sauces and jam at the market, depending on where you live. Tomato sauce and BBQ sauce would work, too, check the labels or ask your vegan friends for a brand that they use. Have fun!
Love the presentation 🙂
Thanks, Sundari, we use those little casseroles a lot. They’re perfect for individual servings.
Wow.. this is a new recipe for me.. never tasted the combo of egg plant and meat.. Sounds interesting.
There’s no meat in it, Shobha, just eggplant, mushrooms and bread crumbs.
I’ve recently fallen in love with eggplant. I never would have thought to make meatballs but I bet they are delicious!
I hope you give them a try, Amy. They’re tasty. 🙂
Thts so tempting recipe!!! I would love to try it!
You’ll love it! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
These are such a brilliant idea and I love the idea of a freezer being stuffed full of them. I’ve bookmarked.
Thanks! Hope you like them 🙂
Love these! Long live the “meaty” eggplant!
Thanks, Rebecca. I guess you don’t have room for a freezer in school 🙂
Awesome – I love eggplant! I made Zucchini meatless meatballs and now I’ll have to make these and then have a whole freezer stocked with awesomeness! 🙂
Cool! I’m on my way to check our your neat balls 🙂
I made these yesterday and they are sooo good! Made them into giant balls and had them with pasta and sauce. Awesome recipe :-).
Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m glad you liked them. 🙂