Traditional moussaka is a classic Greek baked casserole, with layers of seasoned ground meat, potatoes and eggplant, topped off with a creamy cheese bechamel sauce.
We're taking you on a culinary journey to Greece today with our delicious Moussaka. For those of you who haven't ever tried this dish, you must! If you're a fan of lasagna and other meat based layered casseroles, then we're sure you will enjoy this traditional Greek recipe.
The flavors are perfectly married together, and when you take a forkful of moussaka, it's just wonderful! With the layers of meat sauce, potatoes, eggplant, and a cheesy white sauce on top, it's delicious!
This recipe does take a little extra time to make than your usual dinner dishes, however, it's well worth the extra effort!
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If you get everything weighed and prepared first, it takes much less time. We've made this recipe from scratch, and when you eat this moussaka, you will certainly know from the flavors that it's homemade.
For those of you not familiar with this classic Greek recipe, we've answered a few questions below. If you know the answers already, feel free to skip straight to the recipe and happy cooking!
Is moussaka and lasagna the same?
Whilst they are similar in that they are layered types of casseroles, moussaka is a Greek dish, using potatoes and eggplants in the layers, whilst lasagna is an Italian dish, using pasta sheets.
Should moussaka be eaten hot or cold?
The dish can be served hot but is usually chilled for a day or so to improve the taste. We like to eat this warm, (not piping hot), but you can serve this whichever way suits you.
What is the top of moussaka made of?
The top layer of moussaka is made of a deliciously creamy white sauce called bechamel sauce. It's one of the 5 main sauces used in cookery.
What does moussaka taste like?
If you are using lamb in your meat sauce, then the flavor of lamb will shine through, together with the creamy, cheesy bechamel sauce. For this moussaka, we added a handful of fresh herbs, thyme, and marjoram and you get a gentle hint of the herbs in every bite.
The tomato sauce is not overpowering, and when everything is layered, you get to taste a bit of everything in the ingredients. It's truly a magical dish to eat!
Moussaka is an ideal dish to serve during the summer or winter months, and great to take along to potlucks and parties as it's very transportable and as we've said already, you can easily make this ahead, double up the recipe or even make a variety of moussakas, for example, if you needed to make a vegetarian version, simply replace the meat for ground tofu and the cheese for vegetarian or vegan cheese.
So let's get straight to the recipe and enjoy!
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Serves
4- 6 persons
Ingredients
15 oz or 450g white potatoes, unpeeled
1 Eggplant/aubergine
1 tbsp olive oil
The Meat Sauce
8 oz or 250g lamb mince*
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp tomato purée
14 oz or 400g can of chopped tomatoes (plus the juice)
4 Tablespoons olive oil
The Bechamel Sauce
1 & ½ oz or 40g butter
1 & ½ oz or 40g plain flour
1 & ¼ cups or 300ml milk
1 medium egg, beaten
1 /2 cup or 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
- You will need an 8 x 10 inch oven proof dish, similar to a lasagna dish. If you use a larger dish, be aware the moussaka won’t be as thick. We suggest you double the recipe if using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- dried herbs – You can use dried mixed herbs or a variety of fresh herbs. I used fresh thyme and marjoram.
- Instead of ground lamb, you can use beef, chicken or tofu if you prefer.
Instructions
- Boil the whole unpeeled potatoes for 15 minutes until almost cooked. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, cut the eggplant into thin slices
- and add to a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook, turning over until brown on both sides.
You may have to do this in batches until all the slices are cooked.
- Set the cooked eggplant slices to one side and keep the same pan for the next step.
Chop onions and garlic and add to the frying pan.
Gently fry the onions and garlic until soft then add the ground meat. Combine and then turn the heat up to medium.
- Add the herbs, seasoning (salt and pepper) and tomato paste and stir.
add the tomatoes plus juice and combine. Then set the heat to low and allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Whilst the meat sauce is simmering, prepare the potatoes by taking a knife and scraping off the skins.
Boiling the potatoes with the skin on and then scraping the skin off is very easy (easier than peeling from raw). It also gives you less waste so you get more potato!
- Slice thinly and set aside.
- Make the bechamel sauce now. In a saucepan, add the butter, and over low heat, let it melt.
- Then add the flour. Stir for about 1 minute.
- The sauce will come together in a dough type of ball.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of milk, and stir until it loosens.
- Once loosened, add a few more tablespoons and stir. Keep stirring to avoid lumps!
Continue to keep adding the milk in small amounts and stirring until all the milk is used up.
You can use a whisk or a wooden spoon. I prefer starting off with a wooden spoon and once all the milk has been added, I use a hand whisk to make sure there are no lumps left.
- Keep stirring and bring the sauce to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Add the beaten egg and give it a good stir right away to avoid scrambling the egg.
- Add ⅔ of the grated cheese and stir. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F, 190 C, or 170Fan.
Build the moussaka. - Divide the meat mixture into 3, and divide the sliced potatoes into two halves.
- Cover the bottom of your oven-proof dish with meat.
- Then a layer of potatoes
- Then a layer of meat
- A layer of potatoes
- A layer of meat
- Cover with a layer of all the cooked eggplant slices
- Pour the bechamel sauce all over the eggplant and smooth out so it's evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden.
To avoid any spillages during baking, we suggest you put the dish in a baking pan or place a baking pan on the bottom shelf. It shouldn’t spill, but just in case!
- When cooked, take it out of the oven and transfer it to cool for around 20 minutes before slicing. It will be too hot to slice straight from the oven.
Notes
Do you have to precook the potatoes and eggplant?
I have tried making this without precooking the potatoes and eggplant and simply placing the raw slices directly into the layers. However, I found the flavors were not as good. Also, it took forever to cook! From memory, I think it was around 1 & ¾ hours in the oven, so the pre-cooked method is definitely better.
Can you make moussaka the day before?
Indeed you can! Moussaka the following day tastes much better because all the flavors have had time to develop. This will keep refrigerated, unbaked for 24 hours or baked for 2 days
Freezing
You can freeze this moussaka before or after cooking. In both instances, make sure you fully defrost at room temperature before putting it in the oven to cook or warm through. It will freeze well for up to 3 months. The meat sauce can also be frozen if you wanted to make a few batches.
Portions
If you allow the moussaka to cool in the fridge overnight, slice into portions and freeze in small containers if you're cooking for 1 or 2 people. It makes a great lunch that you can simply microwave in a matter of minutes to heat through.
What to serve Moussaka with
- A simple side salad of leaves, tomatoes, and cucumber.
- Some warm crusty bread
- Roasted Greek Potatoes
- This is a meal in itself so you don't really need anything extra!
- For dessert, why not serve up or delicious Honey Baklava!
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Traditional Moussaka Recipe
Traditional moussaka is a classic Greek baked casserole, with layers of seasoned ground meat, potatoes, and eggplant, topped off with a creamy cheese bechamel sauce.
Ingredients
- 15 oz or 450g white potatoes, unpeeled
- 1 Eggplant / aubergine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
The Meat Sauce
- 8 oz or 250g lamb mince
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 14 oz or 400g can of chopped tomatoes (plus the juice)
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil.
The Bechamel Sauce
- 1 & ½ oz or 40g butter
- 1 & ½ oz or 40g plain flour
- 1 & ¼ cups or 300ml milk
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 /2 cup or 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Boil the whole unpeeled potatoes for 15 minutes until almost cooked. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle
- Meanwhile, cut the eggplant into thin slices and add to a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook, turning over until brown on both sides.
* you may have to do this in batches until all the slices are cooked. Set the cooked eggplant slices to one side and keep the same pan for the next step. - Chop onions and garlic and add to the frying pan.
- Gently fry the onions and garlic until soft then add the ground meat. Combine and then turn the heat up to medium.
- Add the tomatoes, herbs and tomato paste and stir. Then set the heat to low and allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Whilst the meat sauce is simmering, prepare the potatoes by taking a knife and scraping off the skins. Slice thinly and set aside.
- Make the bechamel sauce now. In a saucepan, add the butter, and over a low heat, let it melt. Then add the flour. Stir for about 1 minute. The sauce will come together in a dough type of ball.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of milk, and stir until it loosens. Once loosened, add a few more tablespoons and stir. *Keep stirring to avoid lumps!* Continue to keep adding the milk in small amounts and stirring until all the milk is used up.
You can use a whisk or a wooden spoon. I prefer starting off with a wooden spoon and once all the milk has been added, I use a hand whisk to make sure there are no lumps left. - Keep stirring and bring the sauce to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Add the beaten egg and give it a good stir right away to avoid scrambling the egg.
- Add ⅔ of the grated cheese and stir. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F, 190 C or 170Fan.
- Build the moussaka as follows:
- Divide the meat mixture into 3, and divide the sliced potatoes into two.
- Cover the bottom of your oven-proof dish with meat.
- Then a layer of potatoes
- Then a layer of meat
- A layer of potatoes
- A layer of meat
- Cover with a layer of cooked eggplant slices
- Pour the bechamel sauce all over the eggplant and smooth out so it's evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden.
- When cooked, take it out of the oven and transfer it to cool for around 20 minutes before slicing. It will be too hot to slice straight from the oven.
Notes
- You will need an 8 x 10 inch oven proof dish, similar to a lasagna dish. If you use a larger dish, be aware the moussaka won't be as thick. We suggest you double the recipe if using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Dried herbs - You can use dried mixed herbs or a variety of fresh herbs. I used fresh thyme and marjoram.
- Instead of ground lamb, you can use beef, chicken or tofu if you prefer.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 580Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 8gSugar: 13gProtein: 25g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
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