Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 large unpeeled eggplant

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade

3/4 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Dried oregano, to taste

10 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced into rounds

Chef notes

Kids love pizza. Obviously. Here's a veggie-filled rendition you can feel good about serving your little ones — and big ones, too. My Mini Eggplant Pizzas are packed with loads of cheesy flavor and are adorned with cherry-tomato smiles that make these bites almost too cute to eat. Almost.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mist a baking sheet with oil spray and set aside.

Cut off and discard both ends of the eggplant and then slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the eggplant slices with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and golden brown.

Top each slice with about 1 tablespoon of the marinara sauce and 1 tablespoon of the mozzarella cheese.

Sprinkle the slices with the Parmesan cheese and oregano, and have fun making smiley faces with the cherry tomatoes and extra cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Joy Bauer's Mini Eggplant Pizzas