Modern Greek Moussaka
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Traditional Moussaka is a Labor of Love
My Modern Moussaka
My goal was to simplify the recipe and make it a tad bit healthier. Here are some changes I have made from traditional moussaka.- I roast the eggplant instead of frying it. This allows you to use less oil and is a much cleaner, less hands-on process than frying it.
- When you roast eggplant slices you skip the need to salt and rest the eggplant before frying, saving a half hour or more. Salting eggplant was traditionally used to draw out bitter liquid from the eggplant. Today's eggplant are bred to be less bitter and if you are not frying eggplant you don't have to worry about drawing out excess liquid. Roasting eggplant uses much less oil and keeps the moussaka from being greasy.
- I roast the potatoes along with the eggplant instead of boiling the potatoes.
- I hit the meat sauce hard with a lot of herbs and spices. Next go round, I may amp up the spices even more.
Even Modern Moussaka is a Labor of Love
Even this streamlined recipe will keep you in the kitchen for a few hours. The good news is you can make the meat sauce and even roast the veggies a day in advance if you wish. Then the day you plan to serve simply layer the vegetables and meat sauce, make the béchamel sauce for the final layer and bake. Remember to let the moussaka rest for about 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven and before slicing to prevent the cut squares from falling apart when you serve. Moussaka is generally served warm.Click to download our free e-cookbook: 15 Recipes To Make You Look Like A Star
Making moussaka is a labor of love that results in an ultimate comfort dish. So when you or someone you know needs some comforting, break out the eggplant and get the moussaka going.Moussaka Makes Awesome Leftovers
Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
Moussaka Variations
Moussaka is made differently in Greece, Turkey, Egypt and other Levant countries. What we generally think of moussaka in the west, layers of eggplant, meat and béchamel sauce, was developed by a french-trained Greek chef, Nikolaos Tselementes in the 1920's. You may substitute other vegetables in the dish -- consider zucchini, Brussels sprouts, spinach, peppers or mushrooms. You can use parmesan cheese, pecorino or Greek mizithra cheese. Bobby Flay has a version of moussaka that he folds goat cheese into the béchamel. Now that sounds good! Likewise you can make a meatless sauce or substitute beef, chicken or even ground turkey for the lamb. I'm considering making a moussaka with a layer of sweet potato instead of russets. Doesn't that sound delicious?Our Moussaka Celebration
Modern Greek Moussaka
Moussaka is both an ultimate comfort food and a labor of love to make. This recipe for modern Greek moussaka reduces the preparation steps and is a healthier version of traditional moussaka.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
Scale
For the meat sauce:
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 26-ounce container chopped tomatoes
- 3 T tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 t allspice
- 2 t ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 T dried oregano
- 1 t ground ginger
- 1/4 t fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
For the béchamel sauce:
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 t fresh ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 3 eggs, separated
For the eggplant:
- 3 globe eggplants
- Olive oil
For the potatoes:
- 2 – 3 medium to large russet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
For assembling the moussaka:
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the meat sauce:
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot such as a Le Creuset Dutch oven, brown the lamb. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, lemon juice and zest, spices, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer on medium-low for about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning and set aside.
- While the meat sauce is cooking prepare the eggplant and potatoes.
For the eggplant:
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Slice the eggplant in 1/4″ slices. Brush slices on both sides with olive oil and layout on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes, until eggplant is soft and starts to take on some color. Don’t overcook. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the potatoes:
- Peel the potatoes and slice in 1/4″ disks. Brush with olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast for 12 – 15 minutes, flipping after about 7 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked al dente and beginning to take on a little color. Don’t overcook. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the béchamel sauce:
- Scald the milk in a pot, so the milk around the edges of the pan just begins to bubble. Do not let the milk come to a boil.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is hot, whisk in the flour a couple tablespoons at a time, whisking continually. The mixture will form a paste. Cook a minute or two, but do not let the mixture brown. Add the hot milk slowly while continuing to whisk constantly until all the milk is incorporated and the sauce is smooth and thick. Cook a minute or two and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in three egg yolks. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to firm peaks and then fold into the béchamel sauce. Set aside.
To assemble the moussaka:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a large a large ceramic or glass casserole dish with a thin coat of olive oil or butter. I use a 13 1/2 ” x 12″ x 3″ ceramic dish. A 13″ x 9″ x 2″ will be a little small. Alternatively, you can cook in two smaller bakers.
- Place the potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish in a single layer. Put half of the eggplant slices on top of the potatoes and top with half of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Layer on the remaining eggplant slices and cover with the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the parmesan cheese.
- Cover the entire casserole with the béchamel sauce and sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the top of the moussaka is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- You can reduce the total time it takes to make moussaka by starting with the meat sauce, then preparing the eggplant, potatoes and béchamel sauce while the meat cooks.
- Alternatively you can prepare the meat sauce and roast the eggplant and potatoes a day in advance and then make the béchamel sauce right before you pop the moussaka in the oven.
6 COMMENTS
Thank you!!! I cannot wait to try this!
Please let me know how you like it!
After my family had the Modern Greek Moussaka, they all agreed that this was a new family favorite! The recipe takes 3 hours, but it isn’t difficult. It was a perfect thing to have cooking while the family was watching football all afternoon. It smells delicious from the minute the lamb, onion, and garlic starts to brown. The hardest part of the recipe was waiting 3 hours to eat it! We had enough for 5 adults, some to send home with the kids, and some to freeze for the 2 of us. Loved it!
Hi Jennifer, Thank you so much for your review. Making moussaka is a labor of love, but a perfect meal to work on when you have your family home. Now you just have to figure out when to eat the treasured leftovers!
Just like Mom’s! MMMM
That’s the highest of compliments Jill. Thank you!