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Moussaka

Heavenly Moussaka: Comfort Food with a Greek Twist

Moussaka is a layered Greek comfort dish featuring potatoes, eggplant, and a rich meat sauce, topped with creamy béchamel.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6 slices
Course: Casseroles
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil can substitute with canola or sunflower oil
  • 1 Onion minced finely
  • 1 pound Ground beef or lamb, or mix of beef and pork
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cloves omit for milder flavor
  • 1 teaspoon Ground allspice
  • 1 stick Cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
  • 1 can Diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
  • 1 can Tomato sauce or passata
  • 1 leaf Bay leaf remove before serving
  • 1 cup Ground breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs
For the Vegetables
  • 3 medium Potatoes cut into thick slices
  • 2 medium Eggplants salt to reduce moisture
  • 1 medium Zucchini
  • sufficient Vegetable oil for frying
For the Béchamel Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons Butter or margarine
  • 4 tablespoons All-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
  • 3 cups Milk or cashew/almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg omit if not preferred
  • 1 cup Cheeses (Kasseri, Kefalotyri) or Parmesan/Gruyere
  • 2 Eggs or vegan substitutes
  • to taste Salt and pepper

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Saucepan
  • deep pan
  • Baking Dish

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions for Moussaka
  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté minced onion until translucent. Add ground beef, spices, and tomato paste; cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaf, and hot water; simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Slice eggplants and zucchini; soak in salted water. Cut potatoes into thick slices. Fry potato slices until golden, then fry eggplants and zucchini until tender.
  3. Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour to create a roux. Slowly add warm milk, continuously whisking until thickened. Season and stir in eggs and cheese.
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Grease a baking dish; layer fried potatoes, eggplant, meat sauce, zucchini, and béchamel.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 25gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 800mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 500IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 200mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Perfect layering and allowing components to cool before assembling are key to achieving the best Moussaka.

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