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A straight-on view of a perfectly square piece of homemade moussaka sitting on a white dinner plate.

Greek Moussaka (Beef and Eggplant Casserole)

Course: Entree
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 682kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
Moussaka is a classic Greek dish that is similar to an Italian lasagna, but goes with lightly fried eggplant and potatoes in place of pasta. The meat sauce can be made in advance and so can the bechamel sauce.
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Equipment

  • 10"x10" baking dish or 9x13" dish

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 lbs ground beef 85 to 90% lean
  • 1 cup red wine
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes crushed by hand, with juice
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Bechamel Sauce

  • 4½ cup whole milk
  • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 stick
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 egg yolks

For the Moussaka

  • vegetable oil you'll need about ½-inch in the bottom of your pan.
  • 2 large eggplants peeled (in strips, if desired) and cut into ½-inch medallions
  • 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into ¼-inch medallions
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce

  • In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until aromatic, about another 30 seconds.
    2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 3 cloves garlic
  • Add the beef and use a wooden spatula to break it up. Cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Tilt the skillet and use a large spoon to remove most of the rendered grease. You'll want to leave about 1 tablespoon of the grease. Safely discard the removed grease.
    2 lbs ground beef
  • Add the wine and cook until almost completely evaporated, another 5 to 8 minutes. You may need to remove additional grease, if more has accumulated.
    1 cup red wine
  • Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, bouillon cube, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick, about 30 minutes. Set aside. (Cover and refrigerate if making in advance).
    ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, 1 beef bouillon cube, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper

Make the Greek Bechamel Sauce

  • In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until just starting to bubble along the sides of the pan.
    4½ cup whole milk
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mix until completely combined. Cook the roux for about 1 to 2 minutes.
    8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Working in batches, carefully add the warm milk to the roux and whisk continuously, working to remove the lumps. Replace the whisk with a wooden spatula to incorporate the milk into the roux. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, and Parmesan cheese. Remove from the heat.
    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • Let the bechamel cool for about 10 minutes and then stir in the 2 egg yolks. Set aside until ready to use.
    2 egg yolks

Prepare the Eggplant and Potatoes and Assemble the Dish

  • In a large saucepan, heat about ½-inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the eggplant medallions and lightly fry until browned on both sides, using metal tongs to flip them every few minutes. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate or platter. Repeat this process with the potatoes and set aside.
    vegetable oil, 2 large eggplants, 2 medium russet potatoes
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Place half of the fried eggplant in the bottom of your baking dish. Spread half of the meat sauce over the eggplant. Add a layer of all of the potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes. Spread the remaining meat sauce over the potatoes. Arrange the remaining eggplant medallions over the meat sauce and then spread the cooled bechamel sauce over the eggplant. Top with the Parmesan cheese.
    ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • Bake for 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Allow to rest for 20 minutes to 1 hour before cutting and serving. (Cover with foil if resting for more than 20 minutes).

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
Lamb is often used in classic moussaka. Feel free to substitute lamb for the beef, if desired. Or, use a combination of both. 
The meat sauce can be made several days in advance of baking. The bechamel sauce can be made up to 4 hours in advance. The entire dish can be made before baking for up to 12 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Set out for about an hour before baking. 
Leftovers are wonderful. Reheat in a 325°F oven until heat through, or, heat in the microwave. 
Moussaka can be frozen for up to 3 months, however, the bechamel topping may lose its creamy texture. 

Nutrition

Calories: 682kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 1407mg | Potassium: 1237mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 3441IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 390mg | Iron: 4mg