Classic Moussaka combines beef and lamb with potatoes and eggplant with a spiced tomato sauce, Bechamel and kefalotyri cheese.
Classic Moussaka
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
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Classic Moussaka is my recipe of the day with the blogging group Improv Cooking Challenge. We post recipes once per month combining two different ingredients.
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August is all about eggplant and tomatoes. So I am sharing my recipe for classic Greek moussaka with you. It is one of my favorite comfort foods. I love love j’adore moussaka.
Improv Cooking Challenge: August 2021
Eggplant and Tomatoes
-
- Iranian Tepsi Baytinijan from Pandemonium Noshery
- Classic Moussaka from Palatable Pastime
- Fried Eggplant Curry from Sneha’s Recipe
- Catalan Escalivada from Culinary Adventures with Cam
- Mirza Ghasemi – Vegan Version by Magical Ingredients
- Eggplant and Tomato Tian by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Eggplant Prosciutto Caprese Panini from Cookaholic Wife
Classic Moussaka
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Classic Moussaka
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Classic Moussaka
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Vegetables:
- 1 pound russet potatoes (peeled and sliced)
- 1 large purple eggplant (peeled and sliced) (about 1.5 pounds)
- olive oil (as needed)
Bechamel Sauce:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 10 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (can sub Romano cheese)
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a large oblong casserole dish or lasagna pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Meat Sauce:
- Brown meats with onion and garlic in the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other deep pan.
- Drain off fat,
- Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and wine.
- Let wine evaporate off.
- Add tomato sauce, water and tomato paste; cover and simmer fifteen minutes.
Vegetables:
- Boil sliced potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes, then drain.
- Saute eggplant slices in a little olive oil until browned; remove from heat and set aside.
Bechamel:
- Melt the butter in a skillet and whisk in the flour.
- Cook and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the milk all at once.
- Season with salt and pepper to your tastes.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and boil one minute to thicken; remove from heat.
- Stir in the spices, and 1/4 cup of the cheese.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, and quickly stir in a small ladle of Bechamel into the eggs to temper.
- Then add all the egg mixture back to the pan of Bechamel and whisk it in.
Assembly:
- Layer the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Top the potatoes with half the eggplant and 1/4 cup cheese.
- Cover this layer of eggplant with half the meat sauce.
- Add the remaining eggplant and cheese.
- Top that with the rest of the meat sauce.
- Spread the Bechamel sauce over all.
- Bake, uncovered in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes.
- Let rest fifteen minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
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I have never made moussaka. I think it sounds wonderful though, like a Greek lasagna
Oh my…..This is delicious! This has lots of parts but sounds lip-smacking! This is a wonderful recipe and love it!