This low-fat casserole relies on spices, tomato paste, wine and vinegar for flavor instead of the ton of cheese (and fat) found in regular moussaka recipes.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 2 hr 5 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound Asian eggplants, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups 1-percent milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss the eggplants, potatoes, olive oil, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl, then spread the vegetables on the baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables about halfway through. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the Meat Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon, garlic and ginger; stir quickly to toast spices evenly. Once fragrant, add 1/2 cup water to the pan and stir to combine, scraping up any brown bits. Add the beef to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to break it up, and cook until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the meat is fully cooked and the juices are reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and set aside.
- Make the Bechamel: Put the milk and flour in a small saucepan and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a boil; continue to whisk until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat and whisk in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan; set aside.
- Assemble the Moussaka: Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the eggplants and potatoes in the bottom of the dish, layer the meat sauce evenly over the vegetables, top with the bechamel and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until the top is browned and slightly puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
- Make-Ahead Tip: The unbaked casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight before baking. The baked casserole can be frozen for up to 2 weeks; cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F until hot, 35 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 390 calorie |
| Total Fat | 15 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 6 grams |
| Cholesterol | 65 milligrams |
| Sodium | 970 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 31 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 grams |
| Protein | 28 grams |
| Sugar | 8 grams |
Reviews
Made tonight and absolutely fabulous. Used portabella mushrooms instead of eggplant, and probably had more than a 1/4 cup cheese sprinkled on top. Other than that made exactly as written, Saved & will make again
I love this dish and make it exactly as written (except I do drain fat from meat). It has a lot of flavor and although I’m not typically a big fan of eggplant, it is really good in this recipe. I like that the recipe is a bit lighter than some. I will make it regularly.
Easy to follow directions. Delish flavors! Winner in our book! I did use 1 cup almond milk and I cup 1/2 & 1/2 for the sauce. I also used a regular eggplant and fresh ground nutmeg. Definitely will be putting this dish on rotation in our menu
Delicious! We loved this healthier version and my hubby usually doesn’t like eggplant. I make this a lot with adding extra veggies like zucchini. I roast them like I normally do (omit the water not sure why they did that but may be why many reviewers said theirs was watery) I use ground turkey and diced tomatoes instead of tomato paste. I also substitute almond milk and use a shredded vegan cheese. Love when you can make your own tweaks and it still comes out right. That’s a sign of a keeper for me.
Great flavor. Really loved this dish. I took the suggestions of peeling the regular eggplant since the Asian eggplant wasn’t available. Also didn’t use the water to roast the veggies. Roasted the veggies like I normally would, with olive oil. Perfect! Will make again and again.
Everything was good until I got to the Bechtel sauce. I am celiac so use special all purpose flower that turner’s into paste so I just kept thinking it. What a great meal!
Delicious! Both my husband and myself do not care for eggplant but loved this! The combination of flavors is unique but excellent. I made with ground turkey and regular eggplant because I couldn’t find the asian eggplant. Next time I may peel the eggplant as the skin separated from the flesh and was not so appealing to look at while eating (but this is coming from someone who doesn’t really like eggplant). I like the idea of adding additional veggies. Will definitely be making this again.
Excellent. I used ground turkey. Although this recipe was great, if you have had and like the Greek variety, I would be more generous with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Delicious and tasty! Next time I would probably add more roasted veggies, but that’s personal preference. I didn’t roast the veggies in water (just EVOO, salt, pepper), and I used a regular eggplant and peeled the skin. I’ll look for an Asian eggplant next time. I will make this again!
Delicious! Followed the recipe almost exactly and got a great result. The whole family loved it! Notes on my tweaks: I used Meomi Pinot Noir because we figured the rest of the bottle would pair well with the finished product. SO GOOD! My beef was a little watery so I let it reduce down maybe 5 minutes longer. When I took it off the burner it continued reducing until it was just juicy enough but wasn’t going to drown my vegetable base so I was able to avoid the wateriness I read in another review. More béchamel wouldn’t hurt! I will likely make 1.5 servings of that next time.