Traditional Greek Eggplant Moussaka
This Traditional Greek Eggplant Moussaka with ground beef is a delicious dish perfect for a nice dinner. The combination of eggplant, ground beef, and a rich, spicy tomato sauce, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce, explodes in flavor with every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into ⅛ inch (¼ cm) thick slices
- 2 onions finely chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic squeezed
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 14½ oz. diced tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup grated cheese
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants into about ½ inch (1 cm) thick slices and sprinkle them with salt. Place them on a rack or in a colander and let them drain for 30 minutes. Rinse them with water and pat dry with paper towels.2 eggplants
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (if you want to eat the Moussaka immediately, otherwise omit this step).
- Grease a 8 x 10 inch (20 x 26 cm) baking dish with oil.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the eggplant on both sides until light brown and soft. Let drain on a plate on some kitchen paper.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add oil to the pan again, and fry the potato slices until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.2 pounds potatoes
- Heat a frying pan on fire and add a tablespoon of oil.
- Fry the onion and tomato paste for about 3 minutes until the onion changes color, and then add the garlic. Let it fry for 30 seconds.2 onions, ¼ cup tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic
- Put the ground beef in the pan and fry until brown and loose.2 pounds ground beef
- Then add the can of tomatoes and the wine, stir well, and place the bay leaf on top. Season with salt and pepper.14½ oz. diced tomatoes, 1 cup red wine, 1 bay leaf
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and put the lid on the pan.
- Let it simmer for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.3 tablespoons butter
- Add the flour all at once while continuing to stir.4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Fry the flour-butter mixture thoroughly for about 2 minutes.2 cups milk
- Then, pour in the milk while continuing to stir. Add some milk if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Turn off the heat and stir the egg yolk and grated cheese into the béchamel sauce.1 egg yolk, ⅓ cup grated cheese
- Take the baking dish and place half the potatoes on the bottom and then a layer of eggplant.
- Pour the ground beef tomato sauce on top of the eggplants.
- Place the rest of the potatoes and the eggplants again on the minced meat-tomato sauce.
- Divide the béchamel sauce over the Moussaka.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown.
NOTES
1. Red wine: Use a full-bodied red wine with a deep flavor. A lovely Greek wine is also a good choice, as is a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux. If you don't like or want to use wine, replace it with extra stock or tomato juice. The sauce will then have a slightly different taste.
2. Ground beef: This can also be replaced with minced lamb or ground chicken.
3. Potatoes: If you want to make it easy for yourself, you can also use potato slices from the refrigerator compartment.
4. Storage:
Not baked
- Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. Let the Moussaka come to room temperature (about 30–60 minutes) before baking it.
- Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap. Let thaw in the refrigerator.
- To reheat: Sprinkle the top with two tablespoons of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30–45 minutes (depending on the size of your leftover Moussaka) at 320 °F (160 °C).
Nutrition
Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 322mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Iron: 5mg
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