Easy Greek Moussaka Recipes

TRADITIONAL MOUSSAKA RECIPE WITH EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) AND POTATOES

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek moussaka recipe, begin by preparing the eggplants. Remove the stalks from the eggplants and cut them into slices, 1 cm thick. Season with salt and place in a colander for about half an hour.
• and squeeze with your hands, to get rid of the excessive water. Pat them dry and fry in plenty of oil, until nicely colored. Place the fried eggplants on some paper, in order to absorb the oil. (For a lighter version of the traditional Greek moussaka try drizzling the aubergines with some olive oil and bake them for 20 minutes instead of frying them). Set aside when done.
• If you are adding potatoes to your moussaka, now its time to slice them into 0.5cm, half a finger width slices. Fry them or bake them in the same way as the eggplants. Season with some salt and set them aside when done.
• for the moussaka. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and sauté, until softened and slightly colored. Stir in the mince breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté. When it starts to brown, add the the garlic and tomato paste and sauté until the garlic starts to soften. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the meat juices and wait to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until most of the juices have evaporated. Set aside when done.
• for the moussaka. Use a large pan to melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in a steady stream; keep whisking in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat while continuing to stir. Its consistency should resemble a thick cream.
• Remove the béchamel pan from the stove and stir in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the most of the grated cheese. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top! Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste. Take one spoon full of béchamel and stir it in the meat sauce. Set the béchamel sauce aside.
• Now its time to assemble the moussaka. For this moussaka recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 20x30cm / 8x12inch and 8cm/3 inch deep). Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and layer the potatoes first (if you're using them), then half the eggplants. Pour in all of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly. Add a second layer of eggplants, top with all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• . Preheat you oven at 180C/350F and bake your musaka for about 60 minutes or until its crust turns light golden brown. Even though it will be really hard to do so, you should wait for the moussaka to cool down and be just warm to the touch before cutting into pieces. This will prevent the béchamel sauce from pouring out when you're cutting your pieces.
• Serve the Moussaka with a refreshing Traditional Greek Salad and enjoy over a glass of wine!

AUTHENTIC GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place in a colander set in the sink or over a plate. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the salt can draw out any bitterness.
• Meanwhile, make bechamel sauce. Heat milk in a saucepan almost to a boil. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Lower heat and gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly until bechamel sauce thickens. Season with salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Rinse eggplant slices under cold running water. Squeeze out liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk egg yolks into the cooled bechamel.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and cook eggplant slices in batches until each side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a large plate lined with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook grated onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Season with allspice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until all excess liquid has evaporated and mixture appears dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the egg white.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in the prepared baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the beef mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/3 of Parmesan cheese on top. Pour bechamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the moussaka is set and golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

EASY GREEK MOUSSAKA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220˚celsius (430˚F).
• Line two baking trays with baking paper and spread out the eggplant and zucchini slices on top. Dab with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Flip them and dab with a little more olive oil, then bake again for a further 15 minutes. Once they're done, pull them out and reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C (356˚F).
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until translucent, then add the beef mince and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef has browned and any liquid has reduced.
• In a separate frying pan, heat another 1-2tbsp olive oil over medium heat and fry the potato slices on both sides until lightly browned.
• Add the homemade pasta sauce (or sub with passata, or a can of diced tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste) in with the beef and onion, along with the red wine. Simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.
• Assemble the moussaka layers in a large baking dish in the following order: half of the potatoes, half of the meat sauce, eggplant, then remaining potatoes, zucchini and remaining beef sauce. Crumble feta cheese over the top.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, flour and milk. Stir constantly and thoroughly with a small whisk to keep it smooth. Note: This step goes against most béchamel recipes, but it hasn't failed us once! It will start to thicken after around 5 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the nutmeg, salt, pepper, shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese has melted and sauce texture is smooth and creamy.
• Pour the white sauce all over the moussaka base. Top with more grated cheese if you like, then pop it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheesy top is golden brown.

AUTHENTIC GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Meat Sauce:.
• Melt butter in a 3 1/2 Quart Dutch oven, sauté onion, ground chuck or lamb and garlic, stirring until brown, 10 minutes.
• Add herbs, spices and tomato sauce and stirring until it starts to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncover, 1/2 hour.
• Halve unpaired eggplants lengthwise. Slice 1/2-inch thick.
• Place in bottom of broiler and sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Broil 4-inches from heat, 4 minutes per side, or until golden.
• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
• Make Cream Sauce.
• In medium saucepan, melt butter.
• Remove from heat and stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk gradually.
• Bring to boiling, stirring until thickened.
• Remove from heat.
• In small bowl beat eggs with wire whisk.
• Beat in some hot Cream Sauce mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and mix well. Set aside.
• To assemble casserole, in bottom of shallow, 2 quart baking dish (12x7x2 inches).
• Layer half of eggplants, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of each of grated parmesan and cheddar cheese. Stir bread crumbs into meat sauce. Spoon evenly over eggplant in casserole, then sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of each of parmesan and cheddar cheese.
• Layer rest of eggplant spices, overlapping, as before. Pour Cream Sauce over all. Sprinkle top of remaining cheese.
• Back 35 to 40 Minutes or until golden brown and top is set.
• If desired, brown top of little more under broiler, 1 minute.
• Cool slightly to serve. Cut in Squares.

QUICK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 4-quart ovenproof dish. On a baking sheet, toss eggplant with 6 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer, and roast in the oven until soft and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to prepared dish, spreading in an even layer.
• In a large saucepan, warm remaining tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ground meat; cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until meat is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in drained tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer, crushing tomatoes with the edge of a spoon, 15 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the eggplant.
• Heat broiler. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, feta, egg, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of salt. Pour mixture over the casserole, and spread evenly to the edges. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

EASY MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes whole for 20 mins or just until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
• Return the pan to the heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil and the onion. Cook until softened, then add the lamb. Fry the mince for 5 mins or until cooked through and starting to char. Add the garlic and spice, and stir in the passata. Bring to a simmer, then season to taste, take off the heat and set aside until needed.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Warm a griddle pan over a high heat and brush a little oil over the aubergines. Grill for 2-3 mins each side or until char lines appear. You may have to do this in 3-4 batches.
• Once cool enough to handle, cut the boiled potatoes into thick slices. Put 1 tbsp oil in the base of a deep ovenproof dish and start with a layer of potatoes, then aubergines, a sprinkling of seasoning, then a layer of the lamb mixture. Repeat until all the mixture is used up, ending with a layer of aubergines. Spread the crème fraîche over the top and scatter with the cheese. Put in the oven for 10 mins or until the cheese is golden.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
• To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

EASY MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Brush eggplant rounds with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large non stick skillet and brown eggplant over medium high heat. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in same large skillet and cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown completely. Add the spices, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. In a second non stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and brown potato slices on both sides. Remove to a paper towel to drain and season with salt and pepper. In a buttered baking dish, layer potatoes, meat, eggplant and top with Parmesan. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper and pour over casserole. Let casserole sit for 10 minutes and then bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Allow casserole to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• To prepare the eggplants: Cut off the stems, remove the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season all the pieces of eggplant with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium flame. Fry the eggplant in a single layer, turning once, until brown on both sides- you will need to do this in batches, adding more oil, as necessary. Drain the eggplant as they cook on a paper towel-lined platter.
• Add a little more oil to the pan and toss in the onion, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley. Cook and stir until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ground lamb, stirring to break up the meat; season with salt and pepper, and toss in the cinnamon stick. Stir in the tomato paste and hand-crushed tomatoes. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover the bottom with no gaps. Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the feta and Parmesan. Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant. Cover the top with a nice even layer of bread crumbs. Bake the moussaka for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

EASY GREEK MOUSSAKA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 F.
• Add the sliced potatoes to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for around 6 minutes until they are tender, but not soft so they're falling apart. Then drain and put to one side.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and eggplant and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then add the chopped garlic and ground lamb and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned.
• Then add the tinned tomatoes, beef broth, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper to season and cook on a high heat until it begins to thicken.
• Meanwhile, mix the beaten egg with the cheese and yogurt and stir well to combine.
• To prepare the moussaka, put half of the potato slices into an ovenproof dish in one single layer. Then spoon over half the lamb and eggplant. Be sure to remove the bay leaf. Repeat the layers until you finish with a layer of the lamb. Top with the yogurt cheese sauce.
• Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the top is bubbling.
• Garnish with parsley and serve.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Arrange potato and eggplant slices in 2 greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans, overlapping as needed. Bake until cooked through, 20 minutes. Set aside; reduce oven setting to 400°., In a large skillet, cook lamb, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, 7-9 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, water, tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes., In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg., Arrange par-cooked potatoes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, overlapping as needed. Top with lamb mixture. Arrange eggplant over top, overlapping as needed. , Top with bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

REALLY EASY GREEK MOUSSAKA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Peel and slice eggplant, and slice into pieces 1/2 inch thick; sprinkle with sea salt and allow to sit and drain in a colander. Rinse eggplant with water; pat dry and mince.
• Cook lamb and onion in olive oil in a large nonstick skillet until meat is browned. Add potato, garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, cooking until potato is browned. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar along with water and cook until potato is done, then place in a large casserole dish or lasagna pan.
• Add more oil to nonstick skillet, and cook eggplant in two batches, until browned and tender, adding 1/2 cup dry red wine at the end of each cooking cycle and allowing the wine to cook in and absorb.
• Mix together cooked eggplant with sauce in pan, and spread evenly.
• Add butter to skillet along with flour and whisk into a roux; add milks and seasonings, and cook, stirring, until thickened. astir in cheese and remove from heat.
• Add 1/2 cup bechamel sauce to the eggs, whisking quickly to temper them and keep them from scrambling in the bechamel sauce, then add egg/sauce mixture to the bechamel sauce and finish whisking.
• Spread bechamel sauce over meat sauce.
• Bake moussaka uncovered for 35-40 minutes at 350°F or until bechamel sauce is set.
• Allow casserole to rest about 15 minutes before serving (I serve the salad course while waiting).