Sun-kissed white stone buildings juxtaposed against a sea of sapphire blue, the sound of old church bells chiming through the air, ancient ruins, a rich and intriguing history…Greece!
Whether you’ve already been there or are still waiting, planning, dreaming…why wait to enjoy Greece? Come with me and let’s travel there now as we embark on a culinary adventure to explore Greece’s national dish – Moussaka!
Now any food that comes from a country that looks like this has GOT to be delicious, don’t you think?
This dish was requested by Bethany in Michigan. She wrote in to request an excellent moussaka recipe that she could make for her family and friends and I am confident you are all going to enjoy this as much as we do!
Traditional moussaka uses ground lamb while most modern versions use ground beef. I took culinary license to add the additional twist of halving the ground beef with mild ground sausage. This added a wonderful flavor dimension to the dish. I took measures to optimize the flavors every step of the way while retaining the dish’s authentic integrity.
Many very traditional versions of moussaka use a layer of potatoes. Most modern versions do not. I added the potatoes in order to create a more complete meal and they really are a great addition.
True to its traditional roots with some added flavor, this moussaka recipe will impress your dinner guests including any native Greek who may happen to come to dinner!
Let’s get started!
Finely dice the onions and garlic. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and brown the ground beef and sausage until no pink remains. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, all the seasonings, the bay leaf, and the wine. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and allow it to simmer for another 10 minutes, or almost all of the liquid is absorbed. This is important or the casserole will be too watery. Allow the sauce to cool, and then stir in the beaten egg.
Select two large potatoes and 2-3 eggplants, depending on size. I only ended up needing two eggplants.
Peel and slice the potatoes 1/4 inch thick. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil the potato slices for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.
Using a potato peeler, peel strips of the eggplant peel off in a striped pattern. The peel on eggplants is very tough, even when fully cooked and it is difficult to cut through with a fork. Eggplant peel also becomes bitter. Peeling most of it off while leaving stripes yields tender eggplant that still retains a pretty appearance of the shiny purple peel. Cut the eggplants into 1/4 inch slices.
Lay the slices out in single layer on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. This will help prevent the final dish from being too watery.
Heat a skillet over high heat, add some of the olive oil and fry a batch of eggplant slices on both sides until lightly browned. Place the slices on fresh paper towels to soak up the oil. (Again, this is important to prevent the final dish from being too soupy). Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
Grease a 13X9 inch casserole dish. Next we’re going to start layering.
Lay the potatoes in the casserole dish, slightly overlapping them. Next place a layer of eggplant slices over the potatoes, slightly overlapping them.
Next, spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the eggplant slices.
Place a final layer of eggplant slices on top of the meat mixture.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Save the egg whites for a different use. We’re only using the yolks.
Next we’re going to make that glorious, luxurious Bechamel Sauce! (Use this recipe to use with other foods as well. This sauce is fantastic served over cooked cauliflower, for example. Or when making it add some Cheddar cheese to it to make your own Macaroni & Cheese sauce. These are just two of many examples – you’re going to love this sauce!)
Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium-high heat and whisk in the flour until no clumps remain. Continue whisking for another minute. While continually whisking, gradually add the milk. Then add the salt, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Whisk to break up and dissolve any clumps. Slowly bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat, all the while continuing to whisk to prevent the sauce from burning on the bottom.
While continually whisking, gradually add the milk. Then add the salt, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Whisk to break up and dissolve any clumps. Slowly bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat, all the while continuing to whisk to prevent the sauce from burning on the bottom.
Once the sauce has thickened, continue to simmer the sauce, while whisking, for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool.
Once the sauce has mostly cooled, whisk in the egg yolks.
Spread the bechamel sauce evenly over the final layer of eggplant slices.
Bake the moussaka uncovered in a oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving. This will give it time to absorb any excess liquid.
Serve and enjoy!
Authentic Greek Moussaka
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 large potatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground mild sausage
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 egg beaten
- Bread crumbs for bottom of casserole dish
- Bechamel Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- Place the eggplant slice in a single layer on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Heat a skillet over high heat, add some of the olive oil and fry a batch of eggplant slices on both sides until lightly browned. Place the slices on fresh paper towels to soak up the oil. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the potato slices. Boil for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and brown the ground beef and sausage until no pink remains. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, all the seasonings, the bay leaf, and the wine. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and allow it to simmer for another 10 minutes, or almost all of the liquid is absorbed. This is important or the casserole will be too watery. Allow the sauce to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
- To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and use a wire whisk to blend it with the butter. Continue whisking for another 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the milk while continually whisking to prevent lumps. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and nutmeg. Continue whisking until all clumps have dissolved (if you haven't caught on to the trend yet, this sauce requires a lot of whisking!). Continue to whisk (there we go again!) the sauce until it thickens and has simmered for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and remove the saucepan from the burner. Allow the sauce to cool for about 20 minutes. Then whisk in the egg yolks until thoroughly blended.
- Sprinkle a thin, even layer of fine bread crumbs on the bottom of the dish. This will help absorb the liquid from the vegetables.
- Arrange a layer of slightly overlapping potatoes on the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Next add a layer of eggplant slices, slightly overlapping them. Evenly spread out the meat sauce on top. Add another layer of eggplant slices and even top with the béchamel sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Remove the moussaka and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before serving to allow the liquid in the bottom of the dish to absorb.
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Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This looks incredibly delicious!
Anonymous says
Just the same as Australian Shepherd Pie
Dee says
This looks amazing! I have to try it.
Chris Sandiford says
Great stuff! You’ve got the eggplant (or as we say, aubergine) frying paragraph in twice though. Cheers!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Chris!
Susan Lindskog says
I searched a long time for a recipe that looked true to the moussaka we had on the island of Crete–this is it! The moussaka we enjoyed so much always had thinly sliced potatoes on the bottom, as this recipe does. When my husband smelled the moussaka as it came out of the oven he said it smelled just like the moussaka we shared many times in Greece. Absolutely wonderful recipe and totally authentic.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Susan, thank you so much for the feedback!
Kathy says
I’ve had this recipe several times, and just love it. I plan on making it again within the next few days. I am dieting, and noticed this recipe has 30 grams of fat. Is this per serving, or for the entire Mousaka? I know this is not a diet recipe, but I am just craving this right now. I plan on brushing the olive oil on the eggplant, and potatoes, and will just put it on the barbeque to cook. My taste buds are screaming for this delicious Moussaka, and I’m ready for some comfort food.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you like it, Kathy, thank you! Yes, that is per serving. Keep in mind that a pound of ground beef alone has 136 grams of fat. The good news is that fat is not the main problem when it comes to weight loss (think high fat keto diets), the carbs are the biggest problem, and you can omit the potatoes if you like for a very low carb dish that will still taste amazing.
Fran says
Hi Kimberly,
I’ve made this recipe 3 times already and it is not only delicious but looks beautiful when served to guests. I made mine in a 27cm round baking pan with removable bottom. Since the pan has a removable bottom and leaks, I had to make sure the meat sauce was really dry and not dripping in oil. :) When I took the moussaka out and sliced it I could see the layers perfectly. This recipe is great for impressing visitors!
Thanks so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Fran, I am so happy to hear that, thank you!
Faye says
Yum! Been making Moussaka off and on for about 45 years. This receipe is right about the same but I’ve never used potatoes. Will try that next time. Also my receipe – if you could call it a receipe – didn’t include allspice or nutmeg. Just used cinnamon but noticeably more than a quarter tsp. Am going to make yet another alteration to mine since I love spices and herbs. So glad I stumbled on your site. I see a number of other receipes I’m going to incorporate in our meals. Thanks a bunch.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Faye, I’m so glad you found us and hope you enjoy the recipes!
Beatrice says
Hi, this recipe sounds so great! I have a small question regarding the tomatoes, the recipe says 116 Oz -that is in grams 3288 g, and it’s hard to believe that I have to put in over 3 kg of chopped tomatoes. Something must be wrong with my conversion… Please help! (First time I try something I never date to stray from the given quantities)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Beatrice, sorry for the confusion. It’s actually “one” 16 ounce can of tomatoes and I can see how that would be distorted when you convert it over to grams – yikes! So the correct conversion is about 450 grams. That’s much more reasonable, isn’t it? :) Happy cooking!
Anonymous says
Thank you, it makes sense now, I also noticed from the picture that it looked like a big can of chopped tomatoes.
I tried it yesterday and indeed, it is incredible, and better today than yesterday. One of those dishes you keep in your mouth and don’t want to swallow because the taste is just divine!!! I will make quantities of the meat recipe and freeze them, to make it easier.
Thank you again for this amazing recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Mel says
To prepare the morning of a dinner party, should you partially bake and refrigerate until almost ready to serve and then complete baking time. Please give best instructions for preparing ahead of time. Thanks
Susan Bochman says
Could I prepare this the morning of my dinner party and cook before the guests come? Thank you for your help.
Susan
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Susan, yes absolutely.
Stacey says
I heard that Mousaka is traditionally made with lamb, which has a gamey flavor, so I used our mule deer meat. It turned out so delicious, and the spices and bechamel sauce pair so well to tame the wild game flavor that I prefer it to using beef with this dish. Thank you for the recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Stacey, thank you for the feedback!
Stacy Tintin says
Wow! This is the best thing I’ve ever made in my life!!! I used 1 pound of beef (no sausage). Amazing!!! It took a very long time to do all the prep work–1.5 hours plus another 20 minutes to let the bechamel sauce cool. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Stacy, thanks so much!
Jane Rochford says
it’s not necessary to make the bechamel sauce cool. Beat the egg yolks thorough and then dish a small amount of the bechamel into the bowl with the yolks, mixing them together very rapidly. Add more bechamel and mix a bit more.
Then add the mix from the smaller bowl to the main bechamel sauce, beating it very rapidly, until it is thoroughly blended.
That will save you sometime and be just fine (I believe it’s the French way of making bechamel)
Julie L. Morris says
Wow! My new favorite dish! This is perfectly seasoned and I thank you so much for the recipe!!! I am allergic to potatoes and beef so I made it with lamb and for the potato substituted frozen yucca (cassava) which I boiled until tender in salted water and then removed the center tough root before slicing it. Most people would never know it wasn’t potato. Not keto friendly btw because it has more than double the carbs of the potato, which is too high in carbs to start with, but if you can’t eat potato it is a great substitute to have in the freezer. Next time I might just double the eggplant and skip the yucca.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Julie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Thanks also for the yucca tip.
Cathy says
We vacationed in Greece last year and had our fair share of Moussaka. This recipe is amazing!!! The only thing I changed was that I didn’t add sausage, because I didn’t have any on hand. It took a little longer to make and bake, an extra 30 minutes, but so well worth it. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Cathy, thank you!
Konnie says
I was wondering if I could substitute 16 oz tomato sauce for the tomatoes
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Konnie, tomato sauce will have more liquid than crushed tomatoes so it “might” result in a wetter moussaka. If you don’t have crushed tomatoes you can also used diced tomatoes and just chop them up smaller.
Carole Snyder says
Love this! Lived in Greece for 3 years. So, enjoy making this. It brings back good memories. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Carole, thank you!
Bebe says
Made this today. So scrumptious. Had too much bechamel so made a cheese souffle. Used all lamb as that is what i had. Love the potato in this. Thanks for the meticulous recipe
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Bebe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Mariam says
I’m thinking of making this but I was wondering if it’s okay if I skip the Parmesan? Any aged cheese gives me migraines! Would mozzarella or cream cheese work or can I omit the cheese altogether?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mariam, the cheese just adds flavor but you can certainly omit it altogether.
Mariam says
I made it today and it turned out amazing. Everyone loved it! I didn’t have nutmeg or allspice on hand so I used cinnamon. I also added some dried oregano and basil to the meat sauce. I skipped the red wine, so I used a teeny bit of sugar and vinegar. Thank you so much for the phenomenal recipe! The bechamel recipe is definitely a keeper.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad everyone loved, Mariam, thanks so much for the feedback!
Missie says
Any ideas on what I could use In place of the wine.
Thanks in advance
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Missie, you can just use some broth if you prefer.