I am sure that you’ll love this authentic, easy, and delicious Greek Moussaka. It seems like a lot of work, but it’s all worth it! Serve this with a crisp, dressed salad for an unforgettable meal!
Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef (950 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 jar of cc sauce or 28 ounces can plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon Greek dried oregano (5 ml)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (15 ml)
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
3 zucchini, thinly sliced on the bias
cayenne pepper to taste
2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
olive oil for baking
salt and pepper dried oregano to taste
Bechamel Sauce Ingredients:
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese (50 ml)
2 egg yolks lightly beaten
1/3 c. butter (80 ml)
1/3 c. + 1 tablespoon flour (95 ml)
4 c. milk (1 litre)
grated nutmeg to taste
salt and pepper
How to make Christine’s Authentic Greek Moussaka
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meat and cook until no longer pink. Add the onion and continue to cook until tender. Then, add the garlic and saute for additional 2 minutes. Finally, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix well. Put the lid on and simmer for about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Step 2: In the meantime, ready the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees.
Step 3: Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil, then arrange the slices of potatoes and brush with oil. Sprinkle the potato slices with salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne.
Step 4: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the potatoes for about 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Do the same for the eggplant and zucchini.
To make the Sauce:
Step 5: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook on medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cold milk, stirring endlessly.
Step 6: Constantly stir the sauce on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg.
Step 7: Take the pan off the heat, then whisk in the beaten yolks before adding the cheese.
To Assemble:
Step 8: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Step 9: Grease a 14 x 10-inch baking dish with oil. At the bottom of the dish, arrange the potatoes and top with half of the meat sauce. Add a layer of eggplant and zucchini and top again with the rest of the meat sauce. Over the vegetables, pour the Bechamel sauce, evenly spreading it.
Step 10: Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Take the Bechamel from the oven and allow it to cool for approximately 30 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (950 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 jar of cc sauce or 28 ounces can plum tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Greek dried oregano (5 ml)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (15 ml)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- 3 zucchini, thinly sliced on the bias
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- olive oil for baking
- salt and pepper dried oregano to taste
- Bechamel Sauce Ingredients:
- ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese (50 ml)
- 2 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 1/3 c. butter (80 ml)
- 1/3 c. + 1 tablespoon flour (95 ml)
- 4 c. milk (1 litre)
- grated nutmeg to taste
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meat and cook until no longer pink. Add the onion and continue to cook until tender. Then, add the garlic and saute for additional 2 minutes. Finally, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix well. Put the lid on and simmer for about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Step 2: In the meantime, ready the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees.
Step 3: Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil, then arrange the slices of potatoes and brush with oil. Sprinkle the potato slices with salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne.
Step 4: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the potatoes for about 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Do the same for the eggplant and zucchini.
To make the Sauce:
Step 5: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook on medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cold milk, stirring endlessly.
Step 6: Constantly stir the sauce on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg.
Step 7: Take the pan off the heat, then whisk in the beaten yolks before adding the cheese.
To Assemble:
Step 8: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Step 9: Grease a 14 x 10-inch baking dish with oil. At the bottom of the dish, arrange the potatoes and top with half of the meat sauce. Add a layer of eggplant and zucchini and top again with the rest of the meat sauce. Over the vegetables, pour the Bechamel sauce, evenly spreading it.
Step 10: Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Take the Bechamel from the oven and allow it to cool for approximately 30 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!
