Moussaka
Homemade moussaka layers spiced meat sauce, tender sliced vegetables, and rich, creamy béchamel. Taking inspiration from the classic Greek casserole, it transforms humble ingredients into the ultimate comfort food.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 570kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Moussaka
- 4 Eggplants sliced into ¼” thick rounds
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 Large Potatoes peeled and sliced into ¼” rounds
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + more for frying
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Meat Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2 Med Onions diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ Cup Red Wine
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 14oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Bechamel Sauce
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 Cups Whole Milk
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Liberally grease a 9x13” baking dish with butter.
- Lay the potato slices evenly in the bottom of the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Once the oven has reached temperature, bake the potato slices for 30 minutes.
- Line a cookie sheet with paper towels, then arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer. Sprinkle salt liberally all over and allow the eggplant to sit for 30 minutes. The salt will draw moisture out of the eggplant.
- While the eggplant rests and the potatoes cook, get started on the meat sauce.
- Add some olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high.
- Add the diced onions and cook until soft.
- Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains.
- Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook again another 3 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and stir until combined.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and broth, stirring again.
- Add the bay leaves and seasonings, stir, and once the sauce is bubbly, turn down the heat to a simmer.
- Allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 30 minutes).
- While the sauce simmers, start making the béchamel.
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan and heat over medium.
- Once the butter is melted, add the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Heat the milk in the microwave until warm or hot. Slowly pour into the roux (flour mixture), stirring constantly. Take your time doing this; it will help avoid lumps.
- Once all the milk has been added, drop the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring constantly so that they don’t clump or scramble.
- Add ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese (you’ll reserve the other half to top the moussaka).
- Add the salt and nutmeg and stir until everything is melted and combined. Turn off the heat.
- Dry the eggplant slices with paper towels.
- Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet and heat to medium-high.
- Fry the dried eggplant slices, seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides, until lightly browned.
- Once the potatoes are out of the oven, layer the fried eggplant slices on top.
- Spoon the cooked meat sauce over the eggplant slices.
- Spoon the bechamel sauce over the meat sauce.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Remove and allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into the moussaka. This will allow the moussaka to set up.
Notes
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Make sure to salt the eggplant slices. This helps draw out extra moisture, giving you a firmer texture. Plus, the slices will soak up less oil when you fry them.
- Use a mandoline slicer or a very sharp knife to slice the eggplant and potatoes to a uniform thickness. This ensures they all cook at the same rate, so you don't end up with some slices undercooked and others mushy.
- For a thick and rich meat sauce, make sure to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. A watery sauce will make the final moussaka sloppy and difficult to slice.
- Adding cold milk to a warm roux (the butter-flour mixture) is a primary cause of lumpy béchamel. Heating the milk first allows it to incorporate smoothly.
- Let the moussaka rest before serving. It helps the layers set firmly. When you cut into it, you get a clean slice that holds its shape, not a messy one.
Nutrition
Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1586mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 836IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 361mg | Iron: 3mg