| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 medium or 2 large red potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups milk, heated to very warm in microwave
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Vegetable oil, for greasing
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- For the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the potato slices for 5 minutes (do not cook longer) in heavily salted, boiling water. Meanwhile, slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices, brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Set aside the potato and eggplant slices for assembly.
- For the meat sauce: In a large saucepan, sweat the onions with some salt in the olive oil over medium heat. After 5 minutes, add the ground beef and cook until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and garlic, and cook until fragrant. Turn the heat up to high, and then deglaze the pan with the red wine, allowing to bubble and reduce for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and lower the heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
- For the bechamel: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour, whisking to make a paste. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes, allowing the mixture to bubble. Add the warm milk slowly, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once the sauce starts to come to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, whisking very frequently. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg, and set aside.
- For assembling the moussaka: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Before assembling, taste each of the 4 layers and confirm that they are properly seasoned. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil. Lay out the potato slices, pressing gently into the pan. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Place the eggplant on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with another 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Spoon the meat sauce on top, followed by 3 more tablespoons of Parmesan. Finish with pouring over the bechamel and top with the last 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Cover with foil (sprayed lightly with vegetable oil) and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 699 |
| Total Fat | 43 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 81 mg |
| Sodium | 1416 mg |
Reviews
read the reviews and increased butter n flower.It was even better the next days!!
I read the reviews before I made this and followed the suggestion to use 8/8 butter and flour. Sauce came out perfect. My first attempt at Moussaka and everyone raved about it. Will definitely be making this again. Delicious!
Very good recipe. I substituted 1lb ground lamb for the beef and increased the amount of tomato sauce and seasonings. I also adjusted the béchamel to 8 flour/8butter. It’s not difficult, just takes some time. Everyone loved it! I’ll definitely make it again.
Really great flavor and not that tough to make. You can easily roast the eggplant ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready. I prepared this in a 9 x 9 pan which allowed for thicker portions. The bechamel was too thin as others alluded to and I will probably add an egg next time to the cooled mixture before pouring it over the rest of the ingredients to thicken it up a bit. We will definitely make this again.
This is my go to moussaka recipe. I have been making it since day one. I grew up eating Moussaka as a child. Now an adult, no one else in my family likes it. So a few times a year I make this for myself….I think it is delicious!. I have become a vegan since making this recipe the first few times. I have adapted it into my vegan way of cooking. Any “experienced good cook” knows that recipes are only a guide. You can adjust as you see fit. A winner!!
Amazing! Great taste, and easy to make.
This is not a beginner’s recipe, buuuttt, this is easily one of the best things I have ever made, period! I did one substitution, green and red bell peppers instead of the eggplant, still amazing!
I love moussaka, very delicious recipe! I’d say it takes longer than 15 minutes to prepare. I also added more beef, and tried per another reviewer adding egg yolks in the béchamel for more richness and custardy texture. Next time, I may try cooking the potatoes and egg plant to a greater doneness, so that the final cook time will be shorter.
The flavors are very good. I like the addition of the potatoes. I followed the recipe exactly except I used ground lamb. Because lamb is very fatty, I made sure to drain it well. The proportions of this recipe are off. It was VERY watery. Should be 1 lb of meat. The béchamel was was way way off, and as an experienced cook I should have known that. The 9×13 pan also not right. With Melissa’s recipes I have come to understand her flavors are on, but not enough recipe testing. I should not have to parse through everyone’s fixes, to try and find the right combination. Melisa is a professional, her recipe should be tight, tested over and over again. This one, clearly has not been.
This is the best, most awesome moussaka I’ve eaten. Not sure why no one has mentioned but this is in no way meant for a 13×9. No way! I used a Square next size down. If you don’t have that use something smaller. Like everyone is saying the bechamel is too thin. That’s because she has her butter and flour incorrect. It should be 8 of flour and 8 of butter. This is basic for 4 cups milk. It’s 2 for every 1 cup. Otherwise everything stayed the same. It really is fantastic.