Moussaka will feel familiar to anyone who grew up with layered, oven-baked family dishes, except where Portuguese cooks reach for potatoes and pork, Greek cooks reach for eggplant, cinnamon and a blanket of custardy béchamel.
Moussaka is built in layers: roasted eggplant and potato on the bottom, a spiced meat sauce with a warm hit of cinnamon and allspice in the middle, and a thick, golden béchamel baked on top until it sets like a savory custard. It takes time to put together, but very little of it is hands-on, and it reheats even better the next day, which makes it an excellent make-ahead dinner.
If you like the layered, saucy comfort of Youvetsi (recipe on the site) or the stuffed vegetables in Kolokithakia Gemista (recipe on the site), moussaka belongs in the same weekend rotation.
Moussaka Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch rounds
- Olive oil, for brushing and cooking
- Salt
- For the meat sauce:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 lbs ground lamb or beef
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the béchamel:
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan or kefalotyri cheese
Instructions
- Salt the eggplant slices generously and let them sit in a colander for 30 minutes to draw out bitterness, then rinse and pat very dry.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush the eggplant and potato slices with olive oil on both sides and arrange on baking sheets. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping once, until softened and lightly browned. Set aside; reduce oven to 375°F.
- Meanwhile, make the meat sauce: heat a little olive oil in a large skillet, cook the onion until soft, then add the garlic and ground meat, breaking it up as it browns.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, cinnamon, allspice, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until thickened. Discard the bay leaf.
- For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth, about 8 minutes.
- Remove the béchamel from the heat, stir in the nutmeg and half the cheese, then temper in the egg yolks by whisking a spoonful of the hot sauce into them before stirring them back into the pot.
- In a 9×13-inch baking dish, layer the potatoes on the bottom, then the eggplant, then spread the meat sauce evenly on top.
- Pour the béchamel over the top, smoothing it into an even layer, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and set.
- Let the moussaka rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting, it needs this time to firm up enough to hold clean slices.
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