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A slice of Moussaka on a white plate and a fork next to it
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4.69 from 16 votes

Moussaka

This satisfying dish of layered sliced eggplant and meat sauce is finished with a flavorful feta topping It's a fantastic crowd pleaser.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Greek, turkish
Keyword eggplant moussaka, greek moussaka, moussaka
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 435
Author Erren Hart

Ingredients

  • 3 Eggplants Sliced into 1-inch slices
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

For the Meat Sauce

  • 1 lb ground lamb or beef
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 14oz cans crushed tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 3 fresh mint leaves chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped (plus more for topping)

For the Topping

  • 6 oz Feta cheese
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the eggplant

  • Preheat oven to 400F
  • Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil or baking paper. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

For the Meat Sauce

  • While the eggplant cooks, start the meat sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, add the garlic, followed by the cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves, and dried oregano. Cook to release the flavors.
  • Fry until fully cooked and no pink shows at all in the meat (about 8 minutes). Add the tomato paste and stir into the meat.
  • Add the tomatoes, parsley, and fresh mint. Stir together, season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

For the Topping

  • Add feta cheese, eggs, sour cream, and pepper to a food processor or mixer. Pulse to until smooth and combined.

To Assemble

  • Line a 10 inch baking pan with a layer of the roasted eggplant. Add a layer of the Greek meat sauce. Smooth the topping over the layers in the pan. Sprinkle with parsley and bake until golden. About 30 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes to set before serving. Slice and serve.

Video

Notes

  • This recipe works well with beef, but I highly recommend using lamb for the sauce.  The flavorful meat really brings the dish to a whole new level.
  • Don't skip the step of roasting the eggplant.  It just won't cook enough using raw eggplant as the base.
  • If you don't have a food processor, you can use a mixer or standard whisk.  Just be sure to mix until smooth and well combined.

Nutrition

Calories: 435 | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 821mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 9.1mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 2.6mg