Moussaka Baked Eggplant With Potatoes Recipes

EASY EGGPLANT MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then place on a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• In a large skillet, heat olive over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper and All Spice seasoning. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until beef is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the excess liquid from the beef. Add the diced tomatoes and vegetable broth and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, or until the mixture thickens.
• To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it bubbles. Lower heat; gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
• Arrange 1/3 of the eggplant in a greased 9x9 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with half of the meat mixture. Add another layer of 1/3 of the eggplant, followed by the remaining meat mixture. Cover with remaining eggplant. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with shredded cheese and the nutmeg.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the topping is golden and bubbly. Allow to cool for half hour before slicing and serving.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• In large, heavy saucepan, heat 1/4 cup oil; saute finely ground meat, onion and garlic until lightly browned; add oregano, basil, cinnamon, salt, ripe olives (if using) and tomato sauce; Cover and simmer slowly about 30 minutes; uncover and simmer slowly another 30 minutes.
• While sauce simmers, prepare Bechamel Sauce (recipe below) and eggplant; cut ends from eggplant (1 large or 2 small) and cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices (if using large, flask-type eggplant, peel the skin off in strips with a vegetable peeler - creating a striped look - with some of the peel left on and some off. If using Japanese-style (the longish, purply-white ones), don't bother to peel at all); Place on a cookie sheet and brush with remaining olive oil; Place under broiler and broil until light brown; Remove from oven, salt lightly, turn eggplant and repeat process; Then position rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees.
• There are three ways you can prepare the potatoes for this delicious casserole: 1) shallow-fry potato rounds in olive oil until golden-brown or, 2) for fewer calories, arrange the potato slices in your baking pan, brush lightly with olive oil, bake for 15 minutes, continue with assembly, or 3) if you want to cut calories further, parboil them for 8 minutes; drain well on paper towels.
• To assemble: In 13x9x2-inch baking dish, arrange layer of potatoes, overlapping slightly, season lightly (there will be only one layer of potatoes, so use them all up); next, do a layer of eggplant; sprinkle some Parmesan, kaseri (or cheddar) and bread crumbs over eggplant; layer meat sauce, freshly grated cheeses, crumbs and Bechamel Sauce until all is used; bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until flecked golden-brown on top.
• To make Bechamel Sauce: In saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; whisk in flour and cook slowly until smooth and lightly cooked (2-3 minutes); add salt and remove from heat; add milk, whisking rapidly and return to heat; cook until thick and bubbly, whisking constantly; allow to cool 5 minutes, whisking once in a while to prevent a skin from forming; incorporate eggs and grated cheese with wire whisk to make fluffy sauce.
• Freezer Notes: Once the baked moussaka has completely cooked, cut serving-size pieces, double-wrap in foil and freeze. Defrost in the usual manner and reheat in microwave (or oven) for a delicious, quick meal, when there's little time to cook and dinner is ready and waiting in the freezer!

MOUSSAKA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
• Start by tossing the sliced potatoes and red onion with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano in a medium size bowl.
• Spread them in a single layer on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes until they begin to soften and turn golden.
• While the potatoes are baking, sweat the eggplant slices by placing on paper towels then sprinkling some salt over each slice. Let them sit like that for about 10 minutes then flip them over and sprinkle with additional salt. After 10 minutes you can soak up any water you may see over the eggplant with paper towels.
• Spread the eggplant slices over the potatoes in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt, pepper, then sprinkle with the thyme and oregano.
• Place the pan back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
• Once again spread the zucchini slices over the eggplant layer in a single layer, then repeat by drizzling olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper and sprinkle with the thyme and oregano.
• Bake for another 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the meat. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until it softens, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes aromatic.
• Add the ground meat and using a wooden spoon break it up into small pieces. Cook until it's no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the allspice, Italian seasoning, tomato paste and stir well. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates. Set aside.
• To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the butter has melted whisk in the flour until it gets fully incorporated into the butter. Start to add the milk slowly. I usually add it in about 4 batches, so add 1/4 of the milk at a time, whisk until all the liquid is absorbed by the flour and repeat until you have whisked in all the milk.
• When the sauce start to bubble, it will be ready to whisk in the pepper and nutmeg.
• Add the egg yolks to the sauce and whisk them in well. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, bring the sauce to a boil again and remove from heat.
• Add about 1/4 of this sauce to the meat mixture and stir.
• Spread the meat filling over the vegetable layers, then pour the bechamel sauce over the meat and smooth it out with a spatula or spoon.
• Bake for another 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow it to cool at least 1 hour before cutting it into pieces.
• Garnish with parsley if preferred before serving.

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: EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Salt the eggplant. Spread the eggplant slices in one layer and sprinkle with salt. Let set for 30 minutes to "sweat out" its bitterness.
• Turn the broiler of your oven on.
• Prepare a large sheet pan or two and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Pat the eggplant slices dry, removing excess salt, and assemble in one layer on the prepared pan. Brush generously with olive oil.
• Place the sheet pan about 6 inches away from the broiler. Broil the eggplant briefly, turning over so that both sides are softened and golden brown (do not worry if parts of the eggplant are slightly charred, but watch carefully so it doesn't burn). Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Prepare the meat sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Cook the onions on medium heat until they turn slightly golden brown, stirring regularly (about 5 minutes). Now add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until fully browned, tossing regularly. Drain the lamb from any excess fat and return to the skillet. Add the dried oregano, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and hot paprika. Stir to coat the meat with the spices. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute to reduce. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar, and broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and work on the bechamel.
• Make the bechamel. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden (if needed, added a little more olive oil). Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot bechamel mixture with the 2 eggs. Then return all to the pan and stir into the bechamel mixture. Continue to stir or whisk the mixture bringing to a gentle boil for just 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and thicken a little more. (You should have a creamy, thick and smooth bechamel sauce.)
• Assemble the moussaka. When ready, lightly oil a 9 ½" x 13" oven-safe baking dish. Layer half the eggplant slices on the bottom. Add the meat sauce and spread well. Add the remaining eggplant slices. Pour the bechamel on top and spread to cover all the eggplant, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs.
• Bake. Bake the moussaka casserole on the center rack of the heated oven for 45 minutes. If you need to, transfer the baking pan to the top rack and broil briefly so that the top of the moussaka gains a nice golden brown color (watch carefully).
• Remove from the heat and let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before cutting through into squares to serve. Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL MOUSSAKA RECIPE WITH EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) AND POTATOES

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek moussaka recipe, begin by preparing the eggplants. Remove the stalks from the eggplants and cut them into slices, 1 cm thick. Season with salt and place in a colander for about half an hour.
• and squeeze with your hands, to get rid of the excessive water. Pat them dry and fry in plenty of oil, until nicely colored. Place the fried eggplants on some paper, in order to absorb the oil. (For a lighter version of the traditional Greek moussaka try drizzling the aubergines with some olive oil and bake them for 20 minutes instead of frying them). Set aside when done.
• If you are adding potatoes to your moussaka, now its time to slice them into 0.5cm, half a finger width slices. Fry them or bake them in the same way as the eggplants. Season with some salt and set them aside when done.
• for the moussaka. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and sauté, until softened and slightly colored. Stir in the mince breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté. When it starts to brown, add the the garlic and tomato paste and sauté until the garlic starts to soften. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the meat juices and wait to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until most of the juices have evaporated. Set aside when done.
• for the moussaka. Use a large pan to melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in a steady stream; keep whisking in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat while continuing to stir. Its consistency should resemble a thick cream.
• Remove the béchamel pan from the stove and stir in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the most of the grated cheese. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top! Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste. Take one spoon full of béchamel and stir it in the meat sauce. Set the béchamel sauce aside.
• Now its time to assemble the moussaka. For this moussaka recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 20x30cm / 8x12inch and 8cm/3 inch deep). Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and layer the potatoes first (if you're using them), then half the eggplants. Pour in all of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly. Add a second layer of eggplants, top with all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• . Preheat you oven at 180C/350F and bake your musaka for about 60 minutes or until its crust turns light golden brown. Even though it will be really hard to do so, you should wait for the moussaka to cool down and be just warm to the touch before cutting into pieces. This will prevent the béchamel sauce from pouring out when you're cutting your pieces.
• Serve the Moussaka with a refreshing Traditional Greek Salad and enjoy over a glass of wine!

BEEF AND POTATO MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, 7-9 minutes, breaking into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in water, tomato paste, parsley, salt, mint if desired, cinnamon and pepper. Set aside., For sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Add cheese and salt., Place half of the potato slices in a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Top with half the cheese sauce and all of the meat mixture. Arrange remaining potatoes over meat mixture; top with remaining cheese sauce., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

EASY POTATO MOUSSAKA WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Start by washing the eggplant and trimming the ends. Then peel them lengthwise but only every other 1/2 inch. The result should be a "stripes" pattern.
• Slice into 1/2 inch circles and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet in one layer. Add the oil and ensure they are well combined. Bake at 400F for 45 minutes until soft
• Meanwhile peel the potatoes and boil for 30-40 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork
• Mash using a potato masher and add the butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until soft and creamy
• For the meat mixture, saute the diced onions using the oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the ground beef and cook until the meat is brown, about 5-7 minutes
• Add all the other seasoning and the tomato sauce and cook for another few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning
• Layer the Moussaka with the eggplant first, then the meat mixture, and finally the potato. Add the potato in spoonfuls and gently flatten using a spoon. Create grooves on the top using a fork.
• Bake in the oven uncovered at 400F for 25 mins, then broil the top for 5 mins. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

GREEK MOUSSAKA WITH POTATOES RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions. Sauté until translucent, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the ground meat and continue to sauté until no longer pink. Drain the skillet.
• Add tomatoes, breadcrumbs, cinnamon, bay leaves, allspice, cloves, salt, pepper, wine, and tomato paste. Mix well.
• Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover with the lid slightly cracked and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is gone, about 45 minutes. If there is still liquid in pan, continue to simmer uncovered, stirring to prevent sticking, until the mixture is as dry as possible without burning. This step is crucial to prevent the final dish from having too much moisture.
• Discard bay leaves, and cinnamon stick (if used), adjust salt and pepper to taste, and set sauce aside uncovered until ready to use. Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat to 400 F.
• Toss the potatoes on 2 rimmed baking sheets with enough oil to coat. Arrange the slices in single layers. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Roast until the potatoes are light golden, flipping the baking sheets half way through cooking, about 45 minutes total. Set aside until ready to use.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until warm.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Slowly add the flour, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps. Continue to cook until the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute more.
• Increase heat to medium-low. Slowly add the milk while whisking continuously. Whisk until sauce begins to thicken, 12 to 13 minutes. It should be creamy, yet thick.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks together. While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the béchamel mixture. Continue to whisk in another 2 to 3 tablespoons of the béchamel mixture.
• Return the béchamel-yolk mixture to the béchamel pan. Remove from the heat and whisk until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Reposition a rack in the center of the oven and lower the heat to 350 F. Generously spray a large baking or roasting pan (about 15 x 10 x 2, or 5 quart) with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom of the pan with breadcrumbs. Place a layer of potato slices on the breadcrumbs. It's OK to overlap.
• Spread meat sauce evenly on top of the potatoes, pressing it down lightly all the way to the sides of the pan.
• Cover evenly with the remaining potato slices. Slowly pour the béchamel sauce over top and spread evenly with a spatula, if necessary.
• Transfer the pan to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the béchamel sauce begins to set, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top. Continue to bake until golden and bubbling around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes more.
• Remove moussaka from oven and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

EGGPLANT AND POTATO MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Place the eggplant slices in a large bowl and cover with water. Add 1/2 cup of salt and agitate gently to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
• While the eggplant is soaking, heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet and, working in batches, add the potato slices and cook until lightly golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain and repeat with any remaining potato slices. Season lightly with salt.
• Place 1 cup of the flour in a bowl and dredge the eggplant slices in the flour. Shake to remove any excess flour. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining oil to the skillet and, working in batches, fry the eggplant slices until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add more oil to the skillet as needed in 1/4 cup increments. Repeat until all eggplant has been cooked. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and, when melted, add the onions. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground meats, garlic, and oregano and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until meat is browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the red wine and cook until evaporated. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, water and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid is evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and, when hot, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth and thick. Season with salt, to taste, and whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and set aside, covered, while you assemble the casserole.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and place the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Top with half of the eggplant slices and half of the meat sauce. Spoon 3/4 cup of the bechamel sauce evenly over the meat sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Top with the remaining eggplant slices, pressing down on the layers gently with your hands to compress. Top with the remaining meat sauce and then spread the remaining bechamel sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on the top and heated throughout, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand for at least 40 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

EASY GREEK MOUSSAKA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220˚celsius (430˚F).
• Line two baking trays with baking paper and spread out the eggplant and zucchini slices on top. Dab with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Flip them and dab with a little more olive oil, then bake again for a further 15 minutes. Once they're done, pull them out and reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C (356˚F).
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until translucent, then add the beef mince and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef has browned and any liquid has reduced.
• In a separate frying pan, heat another 1-2tbsp olive oil over medium heat and fry the potato slices on both sides until lightly browned.
• Add the homemade pasta sauce (or sub with passata, or a can of diced tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste) in with the beef and onion, along with the red wine. Simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.
• Assemble the moussaka layers in a large baking dish in the following order: half of the potatoes, half of the meat sauce, eggplant, then remaining potatoes, zucchini and remaining beef sauce. Crumble feta cheese over the top.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, flour and milk. Stir constantly and thoroughly with a small whisk to keep it smooth. Note: This step goes against most béchamel recipes, but it hasn't failed us once! It will start to thicken after around 5 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the nutmeg, salt, pepper, shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese has melted and sauce texture is smooth and creamy.
• Pour the white sauce all over the moussaka base. Top with more grated cheese if you like, then pop it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheesy top is golden brown.