• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Healthy Life Trainer
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Dips

    Eggplant Napoleon - Italian Eggplant Appetizer

    Published: Sep 22, 2022 by Radwa · This post may contain affiliate links. 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Eggplant Napoleon is a vegetarian Italian appetizer that is so simple and easy to make. It is one of the best eggplant recipes ever, made with a layer of mozzarella cheese between layers of roasted eggplant and tomatoes and topped with sour cream and garlic sauce.

    Eggplant Napoleon is also gluten-free, low in carbs, and even vegan with the right recipe alterations!

    Eggplant Napoleons With Mozzarella Cheese
    Eggplant Napoleon

    This recipe goes well with: chicken poppers.

    Suppose you love the taste of lovely crispy vegetables served with just the right amount of seasoning for flavour enhancement. In that case, Eggplant Napoleons will become a staple in your kitchen. You will never look at Eggplants the same way once you relish these Napoleons.

    What is Eggplant Napoleon?

    When somebody thinks of Napoleons, there’s a good chance they think of the traditional French layered pastries. However, where the term “Napoleon” actually comes from is still a mystery. Many think that Napoleons just came about to be an alteration of the word “Napolitain”, a pastry from Naples, Italy.

    Others believe it comes from the influential French Emperor, Napoleon. He also happened to be a great foodie at the time of the invention of the pastry.

    Whatever it may be, the only thing the dessert and these Eggplant goodies have in common is the fact that they are layered. The main three layers of the Eggplant Napoleons; the top, middle and last are baked slices of eggplants. The remaining layers enrich the crunchy eggplant; tomatoes, sour cream and cheese.

    Eggplant Napoleons With Mozzarella Cheese

    Why this recipe?

    There are many recipes out there, consisting of pan-drying the eggplants before assembling all the different layers together. Nonetheless, our recipe, besides being low-carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian, is also free of unhealthy oils and unnecessary frying. So, there’s your answer. Choose this appetizer recipe because it’s absolutely guilt-free.

    What’s in This Italian Eggplant Appetizer?

    • Eggplants: The size of the eggplants will determine the slices of the main Napoleon layers.
    • Tomatoes: Pick our fresh ones that are tight to the skin; they will prove to be the most crisp for this recipe
    • Salt and pepper: Just the one you have at home
    • Italian seasoning: Order online or find at your nearest General Store
    • Olive oil: Extra-virgin and healthy
    • Garlic: Finely diced
    • Sour cream: Just the one you find most delicious
    • Mozzarella cheese: Either grated or sliced
    • Balsamic vinegar: You can find this in the condiment or oil section at your nearest grocery store
    • Parsley to garnish: Just a few leaves would do
    a plate full of Eggplant Napoleons With Mozzarella Cheese

    How to make Eggplant Napoleon - Step by Step

    Step one: Before beginning the preparation for this recipe, preheat the oven to 200C.

    Step two: Slice the eggplants and tomatoes into 1 cm slices. Peel and dice the garlic cloves, and grate the mozzarella cheese if you haven’t done so already.

    steps of baking the aubergine
    steps of baking the tomatoes

    Step three: Now, put all the slices of the eggplants and the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Go ahead and sprinkle these slices with some salt and pepper. Next, drizzle the slices with olive oil, before you set them aside to bake for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Once baked, allow them to cool.

    Make the sure cream and the dressing

    Step four: Meanwhile, while you wait, in a small mixing bowl, mix sour cream, garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning. We will be using this sour-cream mixture as one of the layers in the Napoleon.

    Step five: Also, in a small mixing bowl, prepare a quick dressing for your baked vegetables by mixing olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

    steps of assembling everything

    Step six: Once the slices are baked and the sour cream mixture is also ready, you can begin to assemble the Napoleons. Make sure you create the Napoleon in the following order, eggplant, sour cream, tomato, eggplant, mozzarella, tomato, eggplant. Lightly trickle the dressing over the napoleons, and garnish with chopped parsley.

    With your Eggplant Napoleons ready to serve, happy munching!

    focus on one Eggplant Napoleon With Mozzarella Cheese

    Top Tips!

    • While picking out the eggplants, go for a size about 3.5 or 4 inches in diameter and has little to no curves. Pick out the tomatoes that are also large.
    • Upon trying and testing the recipe, you will determine how crispy you like your eggplants and how long you should really leave them in the oven.

    Recipe Variations

    • For Eggplant Napoleons that are vegan, you can switch out the sour cream for some pesto. With the addition of pine nuts and basil, you can quickly whip it up with the existing ingredients of this recipe. To prepare the pesto, mix the parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, pine nuts and basil in a food processor. Blend until the consistency of a thick paste is achieved. Now replace this sour cream layer with this pesto, or however, you may please.
    • Some people prefer to dip their Eggplants in egg and bread crumbs before setting them aside to bake. This will mean you add a bit of gluten, but it will still be a minimal amount. Plus, it makes for extra crispy Napoleons.
    • The types of vegetables you use to layer your Eggplant Napoleons is also up to you. Other than tomatoes, we encourage you to try yellow squash, red bell peppers, zucchini slices or even red onions.
    • Feel free to replace mozzarella cheese with cheddar or edam cheese.
    Eggplant Napoleons With Mozzarella Cheese

    What To Serve With Eggplant Napoleons?

    These Eggplant Napoleons are perfect appetizers for a dinner where you want to impress! Guests will be impressed by your simplicity, and we bet they’ll be asking you for the recipe after dinner.

    Well, you know where to send them. Lastly, although we introduced this recipe as an appetizer, it could very well become the main course when served with a side of chicken or meat. Bon Appetite!

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Do we have to peel the eggplant, before baking it?

    Although you can try it, we won’t suggest you do. It will make the eggplant way too soft to sit with all the other layers. Leave the skin on. Don’t worry. The cheese, the balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing, along with all the complimenting tomatoes, will hardly let you notice that you’re consuming the eggplant with its skin on. That’s why we love this recipe. It’s nutritious, diet-friendly and tastes so good. It’s almost too good to be true.

    Can Eggplant Napoleons be prepared ahead of time?

    If we talk about the Eggplant slices, you can bake and store them in air-tight containers, but tomatoes will only taste crunchy if fresh. All the other layers, including the sour cream mixture and dressing, can be refrigerated or whipped up just some while before you want to serve the dish. The eggplant layers of the napoleons were too soft when I tried this recipe.

    What should I do to make eggplant slices stiffer to build the layers?

    There are a couple of things you can try. First of all, try cutting the slices slighter thicker than your first attempt. Also, lessen the temperature by about 25 degrees and check every 10 minutes to see if they are done. We hope these suggestions help.

    Is this dish vegan-friendly?

    Yes, it’s as vegan friendly as it gets. You can replace the sour cream with any sauce or dressing of your choice. We have advised some pesto under the “recipe variations” heading above. You can also go for some Mediterranean salsa or hummus made at home or purchased from the store. As for the cheese, you can replace it with some tangy vegan mozzarella cheese. When we said this recipe is widely accepted by our readers, we meant to say by vegans, vegetarians, diet-conscious individuals and those that avoid gluten.

    one Eggplant Napoleon With Mozzarella Cheese

    More Recipe

    • Mutabal Recipe (Roasted Eggplant Dip)
    • Eggplant Lasagne Recipe
    • Mediterranean Eggplant Salad
    • Roasted Vegetable Pizza - Vegetarian Pizza
    • Curry Fried Rice with Chicken
    • Sweet And Sour Salmon
    • Pan Fried Sea Bass with Soy Sauce

    Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to keep up-to-date with all new recipes. Also, you can subscribe to my Newsletter to recipe all the latest recipes once published.

    Eggplant Napoleons With Mozzarella Cheese
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    Eggplant Napoleon - Italian Eggplant Appetizer

    Eggplant Napoleon is an easy, vegetarian Italian appetizer. It is made with layers of mozzarella, eggplant and tomatoes and topped with sour cream and garlic sauce.
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword Cheese Eggplant Napoleons, Eggplant Napoleon, Italian Eggplant Appetizer
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 85kcal
    Author Radwa

    Equipment

    • Kitchen knife
    • Chopping board
    • Baking sheet

    Ingredients

    • 3 medium eggplants
    • 4 large tomatoes
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 clove garlic , minced
    • ⅓ cup sour cream
    • 3 Mozzarella cheese , sliced
    • 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon parsley , chopped

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 200C.
    • Slice the eggplants and tomatoes into 2 cm slices.
    • Put all the slices on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Drizzle the eggplant slices with olive oil, then bake for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow them to cool.
    • Now, in a small mixing bowl, mix sour cream, garlic,salt and Italian seasoning. 
    • Assemble the Napoleon in the following order, eggplant, sour cream, tomato, eggplant, mozzarella cheese, tomato, eggplant.
    • In a small bowl, mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar, lightly drizzle napoleons with the mixture, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

    Notes

    • While picking out the eggplants, go for a size about 3.5 or 4 inches in diameter and has little to no curves. Pick out the tomatoes that are also large.
    • Upon trying and testing the recipe, you will determine how crispy you like your eggplants and how long you should really leave them in the oven.

    Recipe Variations

    • For Eggplant Napoleons that are vegan, you can switch out the sour cream for some pesto. With the addition of pine nuts and basil, you can quickly whip it up with the existing ingredients of this recipe. To prepare the pesto, mix the parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, pine nuts and basil in a food processor. Blend until the consistency of a thick paste is achieved. Now replace this sour cream layer with this pesto, or however, you may please.
    • Some people prefer to dip their Eggplants in egg and bread crumbs before setting them aside to bake. This will mean you add a bit of gluten, but it will still be a minimal amount. Plus, it makes for extra crispy Napoleons.
    • The types of vegetables you use to layer your Eggplant Napoleons is also up to you. Other than tomatoes, we encourage you to try yellow squash, red bell peppers, zucchini slices or even red onions.
    • Feel free to replace mozzarella cheese with cheddar or edam cheese.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 603IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you like this recipe and want to save it for later? Add it to your favourite recipe board on Pinterest!

    pin it

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara

      March 23, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious appetizer recipe and perfect for parties.

      Reply
    2. Terri

      March 23, 2022 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      The sauce made these mini appetizers even more delicious.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Healthy life trainer logo

    Hello! I’m Radwa, A wife and mother. Also, I am the recipe maker and food photographer behind Healthy Life Trainer. I love making new, simple and quick recipes every day.

    More about me→

    recipe index

    Winter Recipes

    • Moist Sweet Potato Pound Cake Recipe
    • Old Fashioned Chicken Vegetable Stew
    • Sahlab (Mediterranean Milk Pudding)
    • Classic American Pumpkin Pie Recipe

    Trending Recipes

    • Nut and Date Energy Balls
    • 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Mug Cake
    • Moussaka (Musaka) Greek Recipe
    • Basic Overnight Oats

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Healthy Life Trainer