The Best Moussaka!

Rainberry Blues's Note:

I kept trying different Moussaka recipes, trying to find one that made Moussaka as good as what I had in a local Greek restaurant. Every recipe I tried was lacking something, so I ended up combining elements from several recipes to come up with this one, which I think is perfect. I serve it with Greek Salad and homemade bread from my bread machine. I often make it for company and they rave about it and call me a culinary genius. ;)

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

MEAT MIXTURE

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground lamb or 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion , chopped
• 2 cloves garlic , crushed
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tomato , peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 1 beef bouillon cube , dissolved in
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• 1 piece bread , made into crumbs

VEGETABLE LAYERS

• 1 large eggplant
• flour , as much as you need
• olive oil , as much as you need
• 3 russet potatoes , boiled in skins for 30 minutes,then peeled and sliced

TOPPING

• 7 teaspoons butter
• 7 teaspoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs , lightly beaten with fork

Directions:

1. Brown meat (either ground lamb or ground beef), onions, and garlic in olive oil.
2. Add parsley, tomato, tomato sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bouillon.
3. Cover and simmer 45 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Thinly slice eggplant.
7. Dust with flour.
8. Heat olive oil in skillet and brown eggplant on both sides.
9. Cover bottom of greased large casserole dish (or greased small round roasting pan, which is what I use because I don't have a casserole dish big enough) with cooked, sliced potatoes.
10. Top potato layer with with meat mixture and top that with eggplant.
11. To make sauce, melt butter in saucepan.
12. Add flour.
13. Cook and stir 1 minute.
14. Stir in milk.
15. Cook on medium-low, stirring constantly, until thick and just starting to boil.
16. Remove from heat and stir in eggs and cheese.
17. Pour sauce evenly over eggplant layer in casserole dish.
18. Place casserole dish into a larger pan containing some water.
19. Bake, uncovered, for one hour.

Reviews

[Chef #360895]

I've had moussaka in Europe and this is the best that I've had in the U.S. The steps of the recipes are a little confusing because it's an involved recipe but I rearranged it the way I wanted it and love it.

[Chef #612686]

Absolutely loved it - not keen on the potatoes but wouldnt change anything else!