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

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.

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

Classic Moussaka

Sue Lau

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

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

From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

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