I made Princess Diana’s favorite stuffed-eggplant dish and I can see why it was always on the royal dinner table

Once you’ve spooned the mixture into the eggplant shells, take a bite or broil the eggplants in the oven to get a cheese crust on top — like I did.

McGrady said the eggplants are ready to eat once assembled, or people can reheat them in the oven for 15 minutes. He also said the eggplants could be refrigerated to eat later.

In his cookbook, McGrady wrote that Princess Diana would often “request that I leave an extra serving in the refrigerator for her to reheat on the weekend.”

And I can see why. I’m actually eating one of my stuffed eggplants for lunch as I type this.

In addition to making delicious leftovers, this dish dispels the myth that healthy food can’t be tasty or filling. The flavors of the vegetables in the stuffing blend wonderfully together, with the bell pepper, mozzarella cheese, and eggplant stealing the show. The pepper added a sweet note, while the cheese was a gooey addition that paid off. The only thing I’d do differently next time is add more bacon, but that’s a personal preference.

Overall, as someone who has never been much of an eggplant fan — I’m partial to McGrady’s stuffed bell-pepper recipe — I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this dish.

It’s no wonder Princess Diana asked for extra servings.