Moussaka is layer upon layer of baked goodness. With sliced eggplant, a meaty tomato sauce, and a creamy bechamel sauce, it's a flavorful dish that is worth the prep work!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Greek
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 2 hourshours
Servings 9
Ingredients
5eggplants
3tablespoonsolive oil, approximately
salt
Meat Sauce
2tablespoonsolive oil
2mediumred onions, diced
3garlic cloves, minced
17.5ouncesground beef, alternatively lamb, mix of beef and pork, or mix of beef and lamb
Prepare the eggplants by washing them thoroughly and cutting them into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle salt on both sides and let them sit for about 15 minutes. This will help remove excess moisture and bitterness. After 15 minutes, rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry with paper towels.
Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. You may need to do this in batches. When cooked, set the eggplant slices aside.
Make The Meat Sauce
In a skillet, add the olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté until they become soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground meat to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and cooked through.
Pour in the red wine and simmer for a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol. Then stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the meat sauce for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves before assembling the moussaka.
Make the Bechamel Sauce
While the meat sauce is simmering, prepare the bechamel sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and comes to a gentle boil.
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Gradually add a ladleful of the hot bechamel sauce to the yolks, whisking constantly. This will temper the yolks and prevent them from curdling when added to the hot sauce. Pour the tempered yolks into the saucepan and whisk well.
Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt, and grated cheese. Continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Remove saucepan from heat.
Assemble and Bake
In a greased 9x13-inch baking dish, arrange a layer of the cooked eggplant slices to cover the bottom of the dish. Spread the meat sauce evenly over the eggplant layer.
Place another layer of eggplant slices on top of the meat sauce, followed by the bechamel sauce. Spread it out evenly to cover the entire surface. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese (optional).
Bake the moussaka at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the moussaka is bubbling.
Remove the moussaka from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and makes it easier to slice.
Serve the moussaka warm and enjoy!
Notes
Since this recipe involves a lot of ingredients and steps, it may be helpful to measure out (some of) the ingredients before you start cooking.
For the meat, you can use ground lamb or ground beef. Alternatively, you can use a mix of beef and lamb, or a mix of beef and pork.
For the vegetable layer, you can use sliced potatoes instead of eggplant – or a mix of eggplant and potatoes.
Instead of baking the eggplant slices, you can pan-fry them in oil if you prefer.
Once the meat sauce is cooked, it shouldn't contain a lot of liquid as this would make the final dish too watery. If it does, simmer the meat sauce uncovered until the liquid has evaporated.
Whisk the bechamel sauce well to make sure there are no lumps, as this can affect the taste of the final dish.
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.