Indulge in the culinary delight of moussaka, a traditional Greek casserole that tantalizes taste buds with its layers of savory flavors. Discover a vegetarian twist on this classic dish, featuring roasted mushrooms that add a hearty and umami-rich dimension. This recipe caters to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, offering a satisfying main course option that's sure to impress. Complementing the moussaka is a collection of delectable side dishes that elevate the dining experience. From tzatziki sauce, a refreshing cucumber-yogurt dip, to roasted vegetables, a vibrant medley of grilled goodness, these accompaniments perfectly balance the richness of the moussaka.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
MUSHROOM MOUSSAKA
This is from the original Moosewood Cookbook. It's a bit of a production but it's so worth it. I make it for special occasions and potlucks.
Provided by windhorse23
Categories Vegetable
Time 1h50m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Salt the eggplant lightly and bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender.
- Saute the mushrooms in the 3 tbps. of butter along with the onions and garlic.
- Add the tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, cinnamon and wine. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the bread crumbs, parmesan and beaten eggs. Remove from heat.
- Make a white sauce. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter over a low flame. Whisk in the flour. Then whisk in the milk. Keep whisking until thick.
- Beat in the egg yolks.
- Butter a large casserole dish. Cover the bottom with eggplant slices, then half the mushroom sauce. Add remaining eggplant and cover with remaining mushroom sauce. Top with white sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and extra grated cheese if desired.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 270.9, Fat 15.7, SaturatedFat 8.7, Cholesterol 150.7, Sodium 440, Carbohydrate 23.6, Fiber 6.6, Sugar 7.5, Protein 11.3
MOUSSAKA
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 2h35m
Yield about 6 to 8 main course servi
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Bake the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and lay on 2 small or 1 large foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the eggplant is soft, about 25 minutes. Set aside covered.
- Make the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef, oregano, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Break the meat up into small pieces and season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until just cooked but still slightly pink inside, about 1 minute more. Add the tomato and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the sauce is thickened and fragrant, about 20 minutes.
- Make the custard sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Return to the heat and while whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir to cool. When the sauce is cool, whisk in the egg and yolks.
- Assemble the moussaka. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole dish with the oil. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the pan. Lay half of the eggplant in the pan, overlapping the slices if needed. Cover with half of the meat sauce and smooth with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and meat sauce. Pour the custard sauce over the layered mixture and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano and bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and the custard is set, about 1 hour.
- Remove the moussaka from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to serve.
MOUSSAKA WITH ROASTED MUSHROOMS
In this Balkan style Moussaka I have substituted the roasted mushroom mix for half the meat. But you can also make a vegetarian version with no meat at all. It is delicious either way, with a complex, slightly sweet Eastern Mediterranean sauce spiced with a little cinnamon, a pinch of allspice and a few cloves. Greek moussaka is topped with béchamel, which can be heavy, even gummy. But this one has a light, fluffy topping made with yogurt and eggs. There are a few steps involved here and the sauce is a long-cooking one, but you can get that started while the eggplant is roasting in the oven to speed things along or make the sauce the day before.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, vegetables, main course
Time 3h
Yield Serves 8 generously
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Heat oven to 450 degrees with racks positioned in the middle and lower third. Slice eggplants lengthwise, about 1/3 inch thick. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and brush foil with olive oil. Place slices on the foil, season to taste with salt, and brush with olive oil. Place in oven and roast until soft and browned in spots, about 20 minutes, switching the pans top to bottom after 10 minutes. When done slices will look dry on the surface but when you pierce them with a knife you should be able to see that the flesh is soft. Remove from oven and carefully fold foil up over eggplant to make a foil packet, taking care not to burn yourself. It doesn't matter if the eggplant slices pile onto each other. Crimp edges of foil so that eggplant is sealed in the packet and leave to steam inside foil for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the meat and tomato filling. In a large, deep skillet or casserole heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and raise heat to medium-high. Stir in ground beef or lamb and brown for about 3 minutes. Stir in roasted mushroom mix, tomatoes, paprika, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, sugar, bay leaf, salt and enough water to barely cover meat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be thick and very fragrant. Cook uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until liquid in pan is just about gone. Remove bay leaf, taste and add salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Allow mixture to cooled slightly, then stir in 1 beaten egg and parsley.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Make an even layer of half the eggplant slices over the bottom, and spread all of meat sauce on top in one layer. Top with remaining eggplant. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat together eggs and yogurt, season with salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and stir in pepper and paprika. Pour over top of moussaka, scraping out every last drop with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the top. Return to oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve warm.
VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
This recipe always gets rave reviews from vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Easy to make, but takes time. Serve with salad.
Provided by Anne Buchanan
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 2h
Yield 7
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat eggplant dry. Cook eggplant and zucchini in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving as much oil as possible in the skillet
- Adding more oil to skillet as needed and let it get hot. Cook potato slices in hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, again reserving oil in the skillet.
- Saute onion and garlic in reserved oil until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in vinegar, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced in volume and thick. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/2 the potatoes, 1/2 the onions, and 1/2 the feta into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
- Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Stir butter, flour, and milk together in a small saucepan; bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and nutmeg; stir. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.
- Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 239.8 calories, Carbohydrate 25.5 g, Cholesterol 58.2 mg, Fat 11.8 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 10.2 g, SaturatedFat 6.4 g, Sodium 425.7 mg, Sugar 9.3 g
MOUSSAKA
Moussaka is traditionally made with lamb, but I often use ground beef instead. The recipe looks a bit daunting, but if you prepare one step while working on another, it will save time. -Kim Powell, Knoxville, Tennessee
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h15m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 17
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 453 calories, Fat 25g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 99mg cholesterol, Sodium 700mg sodium, Carbohydrate 30g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 28g protein.
MOUSSAKA
This recipe for moussaka is adapted from one found in David Rosengarten's book "Taste" which includes an entire section devoted to the classic Greek casserole. In the book, Mr. Rosengarten claims that his is "the lightest, least oily, least tomatoey, most eggplanty, most refined moussaka that you've ever tasted." Isn't that just what you want as you plan a dinner party? Mr. Rosengarten writes with bravado, but he certainly persuaded me to try his recipe. And it delivered.
Provided by Amanda Hesser
Categories dinner, project, sauces and gravies, main course
Time 4h
Yield 15 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick eggplants several times with a fork. Rub a little olive oil into their skins. On a large baking sheet, roast eggplants until soft, about 30 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices.
- In a saute pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over high heat and brown eggplant slices lightly on each side. Do this in batches, adding more oil as necessary. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
- In a saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves, and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and their puree, squeezing them into coarse chunks. Add parsley, oregano, cinnamon and vinegar. Stir well. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Reserve.
- In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining onions and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add lamb, in stages if necessary, and brown well, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon. Add wine and bring to a boil. Cook until wine has nearly evaporated. 5. Season lamb with salt, black pepper and 2 pinches of nutmeg. Stir in 1 cup of reserved tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
- In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat, and gradually whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Do not let this brown. Add hot milk and whisk rapidly to combine. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth and thickened. Season with salt, white pepper and remaining 2 pinches nutmeg. Let cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and whisk in a spoonful of bechamel. Whisk in remaining bechamel in a thin stream, and adjust seasoning.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble moussaka: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs across the bottom of a large baking dish (18-by-8-by-3 inches) and cover crumbs evenly with half the eggplant slices. Drain as much oil from lamb mixture as possible, and spread the meat over the eggplant layer. Top meat with half the cheese, then with half the remaining bread crumbs. Place remaining eggplant slices on top of the bread crumbs, then add the bechamel, remaining cheese and remaining bread crumbs in even layers. Dot with remaining butter.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until well browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Cut into 3-inch squares to serve. Serve with the extra tomato sauce.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 441, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 27 grams, Fat 29 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 19 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 1034 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Use a variety of mushrooms. This will give your moussaka a more complex flavor.
- Roast the mushrooms before adding them to the moussaka. This will help them to develop a deeper flavor and a slightly chewy texture.
- Use a good quality eggplant. Look for eggplants that are firm and have no blemishes.
- Slice the eggplant thinly. This will help it to cook evenly.
- Salt the eggplant slices before cooking them. This will help to draw out the moisture and prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Cook the eggplant slices until they are golden brown and tender. This may take a few minutes.
- Make sure the béchamel sauce is thick and creamy. This will help it to hold its shape when you bake the moussaka.
- Layer the moussaka carefully. Start with a layer of eggplant, then add a layer of mushrooms, then a layer of béchamel sauce. Repeat the layers until you have used up all of the ingredients.
- Bake the moussaka until it is golden brown and bubbly. This may take 30-40 minutes.
- Let the moussaka cool slightly before serving. This will help it to set and make it easier to slice.
Conclusion:
Moussaka is a delicious and versatile dish that can be served as a main course or a side dish. It is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. With its combination of roasted mushrooms, eggplant, and béchamel sauce, moussaka is sure to please everyone at the table.
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