The skillet bread cake with eggplants is an easy and quick recipe to prepare, great for using up leftover bread. It’s a cake or focaccia made with stale bread, a way to reuse and not waste it. On our blog, you will also find other ideas for recycling bread or storing it in the best way possible. This recipe is particularly clever because it not only helps avoid bread waste but also uses leftover eggplants by incorporating them into the dough, making it softer and more flavorful. To avoid using the oven, we decided to cook this cake in a skillet, and the choice turned out to be excellent because the cake cooked perfectly and was delicious!
The preparation is very simple: we make a dough with bread soaked in water and crumbled, eggplant puree, eggs, Parmesan, herbs, salt, and pepper. We spread half of the dough in a skillet lined with parchment paper and fill it with slices of cheese, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped black olives. We cover it with the remaining dough and cook it over medium-low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, then flip the cake or focaccia to the other side and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
This skillet bread cake with eggplants is perfect for lunch or as a tasty dinner saver. It’s a great way to recycle not only leftover bread and vegetables but also other ingredients that can be used for the filling. What are you waiting for? Try the skillet bread cake with eggplants and let us know what you think.
Also discover:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 8 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Waste-Free
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients to prepare Skillet Bread Cake with Eggplants
- 1.1 lbs eggplants
- 10.5 oz stale bread
- 2 eggs
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan
- to taste breadcrumbs
- 7 oz emmenthal (sliced)
- 3.5 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 3.5 oz black olives (pitted)
- 1 sprig marjoram
- 1 sprig mint
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
How to prepare Skillet Bread Cake with Eggplants
To prepare the bread and eggplant cake, first wash the eggplants, trim them, and cut them into cubes.
Place them in a pot with plenty of boiling water, let them blanch for 10 minutes, then drain and leave them in a colander to release excess water. Alternatively, you can steam them until tender or cook them in a skillet with a little olive oil.
Transfer them to a bowl and mash them with a fork to make a puree.
Combine the softened and squeezed bread, eggs, and grated cheese.
Season with marjoram, chopped mint, salt, and pepper, and knead with your hands until you get a compact and homogeneous mixture. If it’s too soft, add breadcrumbs to obtain the right consistency.
Line a 11-inch non-stick skillet with parchment paper or grease it with olive oil. Spread half of the bread dough in the skillet up to the edges.
Fill the center with slices of emmental, sun-dried tomatoes drained of their oil, and chopped black olives.
Cover with the remaining bread and eggplant dough, pressing well with your hands.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and spread it with a kitchen brush.
Place the skillet on the stove and cook over medium-low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes. When the bottom is well-cooked, flip the cake to the other side. Invert it onto a serving plate and then flip it back into the skillet, continuing to cook for another 10 minutes.
When it is golden and crispy on both sides, the bread and eggplant cake is ready. Cut it into slices and serve.
Simo and Cicci recommend
You can store this skillet bread cake with eggplants in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. When reheating, just put it in a skillet already sliced.
You can replace rustic bread with whole grain or other types of bread, even gluten-free.
For the filling, you can also choose a classic filling like ham and mozzarella, or opt for grilled or sautéed vegetables.
For a vegetarian version, you can replace the Parmesan with a vegetable grated cheese and the eggs with one or two potatoes. You can also replace the emmental with a vegetable cheese.
