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4.59 from 130 votes

Greek Eggplant Moussaka Recipe

Moussaka is a classic Greek comfort food. Follow our step-by-step recipe to make this easy and comforting eggplant casserole. 
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, middle eastern
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 309kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggplants sliced (½ inch thickness)
  • 3 medium potatoes peeled and sliced (½ inch thickness)
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef See Note #1
  • 1 can 14 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Bechamel Sauce

  • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 5 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup parmesan
  • 2 eggs room temperature

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush generously with olive oil.  
  • Place the eggplant sliced on the baking sheet and brush some more olive oil on them. 
  • Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until they are cooked and golden brown. Take then out of the oven and lower the temperature to 350F. 
  • As the eggplants are roasting, bring a pot of water to boil. 
  • Cook the potato sliced in the boiling water for five to seven minutes until they are some how fork tender. Drain and discard the water. Set the potatoes aside. 
  • Heat olive oil in a large pan and saute onion and garlic until golden brown. 
  • Add in the ground beef and brown completely. Discard excess fat if any. 
  • Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and all the spices. Mix well and cook for about ten minutes over medium low heat. Make sure the meat sauce is juicy enough, add ½ cup water or broth if needed. 

Bechamel Sauce

  • Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. 
  • Whisk in the flour and mix well. 
  • Add milk in steps and whisk very well after each addition. 
  • Bring the sauce to simmer and cook for some minutes until it's creamy and thick. 
  • Turn the heat off, add in salt and pepper. 
  • Add in the eggs and parmesan cheese. Whisk well until everything is completely incorporated. 

Assembling Moussaka

  • Coat the bottom of a 10x13 baking dish with bechamel sauce. 
  • Layer the potatoes so they cover the bottom completely. 
  • Layer the roasted eggplant slices on the potatoes. 
  • Pour the meat sauce over the eggplants. 
  • Cover the meat sauce with bechamel sauce and sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top. 
  • Bake in the oven at 350F for about 45 minutes until golden and the sauce is bubbling. Broil for two minutes if desired. 
  • Let moussaka cool for ten to fifteen minutes before slicing. 

Notes

  1. I usually do one layer of potatoes, eggplants, meat sauce and bechamel but you can also do several layers by layering potatoes on the bottom and then eggplants, meat sauce, more eggplants, and more meat sauce. Just make sure the bechamel is on top!
  2. Don't cook the potatoes too much; otherwise they'll fall apart as they cook in the oven.
  3. Make sure the eggplant slices are not too thin as they can get mushy. You can also grill the eggplants.
  4. For the meat sauce, you can use lamb, beef, or a combination of both. I love using half lamb and half beef. It's best to use lean beef (93% to 97% lean) to make this recipe. 
  5. The best eggplants for this recipe are globe eggplants since they have a great texture. Italian eggplants would work pretty well.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 711IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 2mg