Moms Moussaka Recipes

MOM'S MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and add your eggplant slices in one layer, not touching each other. Sprinkle a bit of salt over slices and the spray with more cooking oil. You can also use olive oil to grease your cookie sheet and brush lightly on eggplant slices.
• Set under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until browned. Turn over and do the other side.
• When finished take them out and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• To make the meat sauce, add your butter, onions, ground beef and garlic until meat is browned.
• Drain off excess grease if there is too much.
• Add your tomato sauce and spices. Mix well.
• Reduce heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes and then set aside.
• To make the cream sauces, melt the butter then add your flour, salt and pepper.
• Slowly add your milk. Mix well.
• Continue mixing and let boil until it thickens. Take off heat.
• In a bowl, whisk your eggs.
• Add a bit of the hot cream sauce to the eggs and whisk well. Then add this mixture back to the pan and mix well. Set aside.
• In a large casserole dish layer your slices of eggplant (there will be two layers so divide the cooked eggplant in half and use for each layer.)
• Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan and cheddar cheese over the eggplant.
• Mix in the 2 Tablespoons of bread crumbs into the meat sauce and mix well.
• Spoon a layer of the meat sauce over the eggplant.
• Sprinkle 2 more Tablespoons of Parmesan and cheddar cheese over the meat sauce.
• Add the rest of the eggplant slices.
• Pour the cream sauce over the whole thing and then sprinkle the rest of the cheeses.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or the top is browned. You can also set it under the broiler for a minutes at the end if you wish.
• Let set for 5-10 minutes and then serve.
• We like to eat it over rice.

AUTHENTIC GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place in a colander set in the sink or over a plate. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the salt can draw out any bitterness.
• Meanwhile, make bechamel sauce. Heat milk in a saucepan almost to a boil. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Lower heat and gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly until bechamel sauce thickens. Season with salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Rinse eggplant slices under cold running water. Squeeze out liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk egg yolks into the cooled bechamel.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and cook eggplant slices in batches until each side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a large plate lined with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook grated onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Season with allspice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until all excess liquid has evaporated and mixture appears dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the egg white.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in the prepared baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the beef mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/3 of Parmesan cheese on top. Pour bechamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the moussaka is set and golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

MOUSSAKA A LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• Peel the eggplant and slice it crosswise 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of each slice lightly with salt, arrange in 1 layer on paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat; add as many slices as will fit in 1 layer and brown on both sides. Repeat the procedure with 4 tablespoons of the remaining oil and the remaining eggplant. Drain the eggplant as they are cooked on paper towels.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the onion to the skillet and cook until the onions are brown. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Combine the tomato paste with the wine, parsley, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the skillet and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• In a sauce pan, over low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to moderate and add the milk in a stream, whisking. Simmer for 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat. Cool slightly and stir in the eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta.
• Grease and 11 by 16-inch pan and sprinkle the bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Arrange alternating layers of eggplant and meat sauce in the pan, sprinkling each layer with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Pour the egg sauce over the top and bake one hour in a preheat 350 degree oven, or until top is golden. Let cool twenty minutes before slicing.

AUTHENTIC TRADITIONAL MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Before starting anything it must be noted that Moussaka, in every Greek home, is made in 3 'stages'. The preparation of the meat sauce, the vegetable cooking and layering and finally the bechamel cream.
• FOR THE MEAT SAUCE:.
• Pour the oil into a deep large pan and heat it slightly. Crumble the minced beef into the oil together with the onion and garlic. Brown everything well, stirring constantly so the beef does not clump. Pour in the wine and allow everything to boil until the wine evaporates. Add the fresh tomato, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir regularly while waiting for the tomato to soften well. Pour in the tomato juice, stir everything and allow it to cook and thicken. Finally, pour in the water and, over a medium flame, allow the sauce to cook until the beef is tender and the liquids have evaporated by at least 2/3 and the sauce is thick.
• WHILE THE MEAT SAUCE IS COOKING PREPARE THE VEGETABLES:.
• Cut the eggplants into medium slices and soak them in salted water for 1 hour before your commence your sauce so everything will be more conveniently timed. This soaking removes the bitterness in the eggplant skins and also helps them not to absorb so much oil while frying. Remove the eggplants from the eater, strain them well and then dry them on a kitchen towel to absorb any excess water. Fry the potato slices and then strain them on kitchen paper. Oil your moussaka plan with the tablespoons of olive oil and created a layer with the fried potatoes taking care not to leave any gaps. Fry the eggplants and again strain them on kitchen paper and place then in a layer on top of the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese on the eggplant layer.
• Strain the meat sauce of any excess oil (otherwise your moussaka will be too greasy) and then pour it evenly on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle the sauce with the 2nd tablespoon of grated cheese and then prepare your Bechamel Cream.
• FOR THE BECHAMEL CREAM:.
• This is an age old recipe handed down from mother to daughter, in my family, and then finally from my mother down to me. I strongly recommend that you avoid the temptation to adjust it as the extraordinary delight you will get when you taste it atop of traditional country moussaka, will leave an aftertaste that will linger in your memory for days.
• Melt the butter in a pot, over a low flame, and add the flour stirring with a wooden spoon until the flour and butter combine to make a roux. Quickly add the 4 of the cups of milk and keep stirring with a whisk until the mixture becomes almost creamy and when it starts to thicken a lot, add the remaining milk and the beaten eggs (after the milk). Continue stirring until everything has combined evenly and is a thick creamy texture - this may take some effort (if you have lumps, use an electric hand mixer in it for a couple of minutes and they will dissolve). Add the sugar, mix it in well, the salt, pepper, cinnamon and cheese and mix everything well until it acquires its creamy texture again. Allow it to bubble over a low flame for about 1 minute, while stirring constantly. If your cream is too thick, add a little more milk or water and stir it in well until it obtains the desired thickness. If, on the other hand, your cream is a little too thin, let it stand for about 5 minutes and it will thicken as it cools, and then use it.
• Pour the Bechamel cream evenly on top of the meat sauce and add the dabs of margarine to the surface of the cream in various places. Bake the moussaka in a medium preheated oven at 180ºC - 350ºF, for about 30 minutes, or until the cream unevenly gently browns in places. Allow the moussaka to cool for about 20 minutes and then cut it into servings.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
• To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Arrange potato and eggplant slices in 2 greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans, overlapping as needed. Bake until cooked through, 20 minutes. Set aside; reduce oven setting to 400°., In a large skillet, cook lamb, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, 7-9 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, water, tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes., In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg., Arrange par-cooked potatoes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, overlapping as needed. Top with lamb mixture. Arrange eggplant over top, overlapping as needed. , Top with bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.