Moussaka, a classic Greek dish, is a delectable casserole made with layers of eggplant, potato, ground meat, and a creamy béchamel sauce. This hearty and flavorful dish is a staple of Mediterranean cuisine and is a popular choice for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Our collection of moussaka recipes offers a variety of options to suit your dietary preferences and cooking style, including a traditional meat-based moussaka, a vegetarian moussaka made with lentils, and a vegan moussaka made with tofu. Each recipe is carefully crafted to deliver the authentic flavors and textures of this beloved dish, ensuring a satisfying and memorable dining experience. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, our moussaka recipes are easy to follow and guarantee delicious results. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Greece with our mouthwatering moussaka recipes.
Let's cook with our recipes!
VEGETABLE MOUSSAKA
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Brush a large baking dish extra-virgin olive oil. Season the pan with parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper. Layer the vegetables in the same procedure as lasagna, alternating the different vegetables. Season between the layers with salt, pepper and parsley. Save most of the tomatoes for the top layer. Bake for about 1 hour or until all the vegetables appear soft. Season the top with chopped parsley, salt, freshly ground pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil.
VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
I had never really cooked hotdish, but my restaurant entered this moussaka in a local hotdish festival, so I think it qualifies! It's based on a Turkish version of the dish, with French lentils in place of ground meat.
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 3h
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Char the eggplants over a gas burner, turning with tongs, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool, then slice 1/2 inch thick.
- Arrange the eggplant slices on two baking sheets. Brush with olive oil on both sides and season with salt. Roast until golden and cooked through, 20 to 22 minutes. Set aside.
- Combine 6 cups water and the lentils in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Fill a large wide pot with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚ F or a piece of bread dropped in turns golden quickly. Working in batches, fry the potato slices a few at a time until golden but not too brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a rack to drain and season with salt.
- Make the lentil-tomato sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cooled lentils and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, the oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 3 grinds of pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the béchamel: Combine the cinnamon stick, milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the nutmeg and set aside.
- In another saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let it brown). Slowly whisk in the heavy cream mixture, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then temper them by whisking in 1 cup of the béchamel; whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining béchamel. Season with salt and pepper and add the feta.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Oil an extra-large baking dish or roasting pan. Layer half of the eggplant in the bottom of the pan, then pour half of the lentil-tomato sauce on top, spreading it in an even layer. Top with a layer of half of the potatoes and then spread with half of the béchamel. Repeat the layers (eggplant, lentil-tomato sauce, potatoes, béchamel).
- Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.) Let cool, then cut into pieces.
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
SBD VEGGIE MOUSSAKA
Moussaka is Delish, but it's SOO fattening. SBD not only cuts the carbs out of it, but also lowers the fat to make it a HEALTHY dish! (healthy and moussaka in the same sentence, how do you like that?)
Provided by CHRISSYG
Categories Lentil
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Lightly coat eggplant slices with olive oil (I use a pastry brush, dipped and give each side one quick swipe) and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until softened and golden turning once, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes, and their juices, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- While eggplant and lentils are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together half-and-half, egg beaters 1/8 cup of the cheese, and nutmeg.
- Lightly coat an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange one-third of the eggplant slices in a single layer in the dish. Spread half of the lentil mixture over the top. Repeat with remaining eggplant and lentil mixture, ending with a layer of eggplant. Pour half-and-half mixture over vegetables and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake moussaka, covered, 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until heated through and golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm. (if you're freezing this, cut the moussaka into portions prior to freezing) reheats beautifully.
Tips:
- To save time, use a food processor to grate the zucchini and eggplant.
- If you don't have a food processor, use a box grater to grate the zucchini and eggplant.
- Be sure to squeeze the excess moisture out of the zucchini and eggplant before adding them to the moussaka.
- Use a large skillet to cook the zucchini and eggplant so that they have plenty of room to brown.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet, or the vegetables will steam instead of brown.
- Cook the zucchini and eggplant over medium-high heat so that they brown quickly.
- Stir the vegetables frequently so that they cook evenly.
- Once the vegetables are browned, remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
- Use the same skillet to cook the ground beef or lamb.
- Brown the ground beef or lamb over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Once the ground beef or lamb is browned, drain the excess grease.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, or until it has thickened.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked zucchini, eggplant, ground beef or lamb, tomato sauce, and feta cheese.
- Spread the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Bake the moussaka for 30 minutes, or until it is heated through.
- Let the moussaka cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Conclusion:
Moussaka is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a family meal. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it with ground beef or lamb, with or without potatoes, or with a different type of cheese, there is a moussaka recipe out there for you. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give moussaka a try. You won't be disappointed.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
#weeknight #time-to-make #course #main-ingredient #cuisine #preparation #occasion #main-dish #beans #vegetables #greek #european #diabetic #dietary #low-sodium #low-cholesterol #low-saturated-fat #low-calorie #low-carb #lentils #healthy-2 #low-in-something #4-hours-or-less
You'll also love