Mighty Good Moussaka Recipes

BEEF MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss the eggplants, potatoes, olive oil, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl, then spread the vegetables on the baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables about halfway through. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the Meat Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon, garlic and ginger; stir quickly to toast spices evenly. Once fragrant, add 1/2 cup water to the pan and stir to combine, scraping up any brown bits. Add the beef to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to break it up, and cook until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the meat is fully cooked and the juices are reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and set aside.
• Make the Bechamel: Put the milk and flour in a small saucepan and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a boil; continue to whisk until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat and whisk in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan; set aside.
• Assemble the Moussaka: Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the eggplants and potatoes in the bottom of the dish, layer the meat sauce evenly over the vegetables, top with the bechamel and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until the top is browned and slightly puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
• Make-Ahead Tip: The unbaked casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight before baking. The baked casserole can be frozen for up to 2 weeks; cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F until hot, 35 to 45 minutes.

MIGHTY GOOD MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Peel the zucchini and slice into 1/2-inch rounds.
• Heat a skillet and spray with the veggie oil.
• Quickly brown the zucchini slices on both sides, spray with oil as necessary Arrange half the zucchini slices in an oiled 9x12x2-inch baking dish.
• Heat the olive oil in the same skillet and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add meat, stir to break up any lumps, and cook for about 5 minutes.
• In a saucepan heat the tomato sauce, tomato pieces, bay leaf, beau monde, honey, oregano, chili pepper and black pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat a little oil and brown the mushrooms, then add them to the meat and mix well.
• Pour all of the meat mixture over the zucchini slices. Top with cinnamon, allspice and cottage cheese. Cover with remaining zucchini slices, then the tomato sauce and wine.
• Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 1 hour in a 350°F oven.
• Remove from oven, sprinkle with the parsley, serve.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Prick eggplants several times with a fork. On a large baking sheet, roast eggplants in 400 degree oven until soft, 35 to 45 minutes, turning frequently to prevent charring. Cool and slice eggplants into 1/2-inch pieces. In a saute pan heat 1/4 cup olive oil and brown eggplant slices, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
• Prepare tomato sauce: In a saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and their liquid, squeezing them with your hands into coarse chunks. Add parsley, pepper, oregano, cinnamon and vinegar. Bring tomato sauce to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 25 minutes.
• Yield: About 3 1/2 cups sauce.
• Prepare lamb: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with onions and garlic over medium-high heat; saute until tender, 5 minutes. Add lamb and brown well, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until wine has nearly evaporated. Season meat with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
• Prepare bechamel: In a saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat and gradually whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly, but do not let roux brown. Slowly whisk in warm milk. Bring sauce to a slow boil, whisking constantly, reduce heat to barely simmering and cook 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let cool slightly. In a bowl beat eggs and whisk in spoonful of sauce to warm. Whisk in remaining sauce in a thin stream and adjust seasoning, if needed.
• Assemble moussaka: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking dish (18x8x3-inches) sprinkle 2 tablespoons bread crumbs and cover evenly with half of eggplant. Drain as much oil from meat mixture as possible and spread over eggplant; top with half of Parmesan, then with half of remaining bread crumbs. Layer remaining eggplant, then bechamel sauce, remaining Parmesan and remaining bread crumbs in even layers. Dot top generously with butter. Bake 45 minutes until bubbly and top is well-browned. If necessary, brown top briefly under a preheated broiler. Cool slightly and cut into 3-inch squares to serve. Serve with extra tomato sauce, if desired.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• For the Eggplant and Potatoes: Season the eggplant and potatoes with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 inch of oil to a large skillet and heat. When the oil is hot, fry the potato slices, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the potatoes to a paper towel lined plate. Replenish the oil so there is still 1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan. Fry the eggplant slices in the oil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add more oil as necessary. Remove the eggplant from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
• For the Lamb Tomato Sauce mixture: Place a saute pan on the stove over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground lamb. Saute the ground lamb for 2 minutes, until it begins to turn brown. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the pan. Season the mixture with oregano, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon and cook for 3 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Cook over medium high heat until the red wine has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is a thick tomato sauce consistency, about 30 minutes. Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
• For the Bechamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until it becomes a very pale tan color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg and the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat for 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together. Take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk it into the beaten eggs. This will temper the eggs. Whisk the egg/milk mixture back into the milk mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir. Over very low heat, cook this mixture for 3 more minutes. Be careful not to let the mixture simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool.
• To finish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of a 9x13 inch-baking dish with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the eggplant over the breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the potatoes over the eggplant. Place 1/2 of the lamb tomato sauce mixture over the potatoes. Spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce over the lamb mixture. Top the bechamel with another layer of eggplant and another layer of potatoes. Top with the remaining lamb mixture. Place one more layer of eggplant and potatoes over the lamb mixture. Top with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with mint and parsley.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Drizzle 4 tbsp of the oil over the slices of aubergine and fry them in several batches for 5-7 mins or until golden brown and beginning to soften. If they look a little dry during cooking, add a dash more olive oil. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the mince and fry for 8-10 mins until a deep golden brown, regularly stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the casserole. Tip in the onion along with a pinch of salt and fry gently for 10-12 mins or until softened and turning translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, cinnamon, chilli and bay cooking for a further min. Return the lamb to the pan and pour in the red wine, bring to a bubble and reduce the wine by half. Stir through the tomatoes, tomato purée and brown sugar, along with 200ml water. Season. Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 mins, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.
• Heat oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 4. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the potato slices and cook for 6 mins, drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 10 mins.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the flour and cook over a medium heat for 1 min. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, pouring in a bit at a time, until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer, cooking for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and whisk through the parmesan, a little grated nutmeg and some seasoning, and finally the whole egg as well as the yolk.
• Take a large rectangular ovenproof dish. Spoon a third of the meat into the dish and spread out evenly, followed by half the aubergine and half the potato, then the rest of the meat and another layer of aubergines, followed by potatoes. Finish with the béchamel, smoothing the top over with a palette knife. Put in the centre of the oven and cook for 50 mins or until deep golden brown. If it browns too much during cooking, cover the dish. Set aside for 10 mins to cool before serving.

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.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Lay eggplant slices on paper towels; sprinkle lightly with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out moisture, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Warm olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Fry eggplant until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in ground beef, onions, and garlic; season with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add parsley, fines herbs, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Pour in tomato sauce and wine; mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then stir in beaten egg.
• Scald milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
• At the same time, melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk flour into butter until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in scalded milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season béchamel sauce with salt and white pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Arrange a single layer of eggplant in the prepared baking dish. Cover eggplant with meat sauce, then sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/2 cup cheese on top. Pour béchamel sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Cover with remaining cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and browned, about 1 hour.

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).