Shortcut Moussaka Recipes

SHORTCUT MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and chopped onion and cook until beef is brown, breaking up beef with fork, about 15 minutes. Mix in tomato sauce, red wine, parsley, crumbled oregano and ground cinnamon. Simmer until mixture thickens and is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Boil until thick, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Beat eggs in small bowl to blend. Whisk small amount of milk mixture into eggs. Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Remove custard from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Season custard to taste with salt and pepper.
• Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant in bottom of dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spread meat mixture over. Top with remaining eggplant. Pour hot custard cheese sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake 1 hour. Uncover and continue baking until golden and bubbling on edges, about 10 minutes longer. Cool 10 minutes.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Fry the onions in the oil in a large skillet or saucepan until golden. Add the ground meat and stir, crushing it with a fork and turning it over, until it changes color. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon if using, tomatoes, sugar, and chili flakes if you like. Stir well, and cook until the liquid has almost disappeared, then mix in the parsley.
• Prepare a white sauce: Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir over low heat for a few minutes, until well blended. Add the hot milk a little at a time, stirring vigorously each time, until it boils, taking care not to allow lumps to form. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Beat the eggs lightly, beat in a little of the white sauce, then pour back into the pan, beating vigorously. Do not allow the sauce to boil again. Add the cheese and mix well until melted.
• Brush the eggplant slices generously with oil and broil or grill them, turning them over once, until lightly browned. Line the bottom of a large baking dish (about 14 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches) with half the slices. Spread the meat on top, and cover with the remaining eggplant slices. Pour the white sauce all over.
• Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 400°F oven for about 45 minutes, until golden.
• Serve hot, straight from the dish. It can also be cooked in small individual clay bowls, the layers repeated in the same way.

MR. FOOD SHORTCUT MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet, sauté ground beef over medium high heat for 7-8 minutes or until crumbly and only slightly pink.
• Drain off any excess liquid.
• Add eggplant to same skillet and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until eggplant starts to soften.
• Add garlic, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper.
• Mix well.
• Add spaghetti sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes or until hot.
• Grease a 7 x 11 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place meat/eggplant mixture into baking dish, smooth the top.
• In a small bowl combine the eggs, milk, salt and mix until smooth.
• Pour over the meat mixture.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until custard is set.

SHORTCUT MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• In a colander, toss the eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt. Drain in the sink for 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees Toss the eggplant with the oil and spread on a large baking sheet. Roast, turning occasionally, until golden and tender, about 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• Bring 6 cups water, the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Lower heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes; drain and return potatoes to the warm pot. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolk. Mash potatoes with milk-egg mixture, 1/2 cup cheese, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
• In a very large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the lamb, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Push the meat to one side of the skillet and spoon off all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Add the onions and cinnamon sticks to the skillet. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir the lamb back into the onions and add the garlic and ground clove. Cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are soft and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant.
• Spoon into a 9-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the lamb. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until top is golden brown and slightly crusty, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.