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A plate with a serving of moussaka with a napkin on the side.
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Moussaka Recipe

Try this Greek eggplant Moussaka if you're looking for your next favorite comfort food. This layered casserole is packed with flavor from tender eggplant, tomato meat sauce, and creamy bechamel.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cool Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 568kcal
Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Eggplant:

  • 3 large eggplant peeled and cut lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices (1.4kg)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil divided (60mL)

For the Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced (360g)
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound ground beef or ground lamb (450g)
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup red wine (120mL)
  • 1 (15-ounce/ 425g) can tomato sauce

For the Bechamel Sauce:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (80g)
  • 4 cups whole milk room temperature (960mL)
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (80g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 3 large egg yolks

For the Assembly:

  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (45g)

Instructions

For the Eggplant:

  • Lay paper towels on a work surface. Lightly salt both sides of the eggplant slices and place them in a single layer on the paper towels. Let them stand for 30 minutes, turning each over after 15 minutes. Pat the slices dry.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add one-quarter of the eggplant to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat cooking the eggplant slices in 3 more batches, adding 1 additional tablespoon of oil to the skillet for each batch.

For the Filling:

  • Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the meat and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, for about 6 minutes, until browned.
  • Drain any excess grease from the skillet. Stir in the oregano, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until it thickens, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

For the Bechamel:

  • Place the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once it has melted, add the flour and cook for 3 more minutes, whisking constantly, until it’s lightly golden. Gradually pour in the milk while constantly whisking. Cook, whisking frequently, for about 7 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
  • Add the cheese, salt, nutmeg, and white pepper and whisk until fully combined. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks.

For the Assembly:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Cover the bottom of the baking dish with half of the eggplant slices, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle the eggplant with ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs. Spread one half of the meat mixture over the eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices, ¼ cup of breadcrumbs, and the remaining meat mixture. Pour the bechamel sauce over top and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for about 50 minutes, until the moussaka is golden brown and puffed above the edges.
  • Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Drain off excess fat: To keep the sauce from being greasy, drain any excess fat from the skillet after browning the meat.
  • What baking dish to use: You can make this eggplant moussaka recipe in a 3½-quart baking dish of any shape. I prefer using a ceramic or glass dish to keep the edges of the casserole from getting too crispy.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-clumping agents that limit how well the cheese will melt.
  • For a browner top, broil the moussaka for 2 to 3 minutes after baking. Keep an eye on it because the bechamel will darken quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1551mg | Potassium: 1034mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1033IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 4mg