Lamb Moussaka

12 Reviews
100% would make this recipe again

Layers of cooked aubergine slices alternating with a mixture of minced lamb meat, in a tomato sauce, and covered with a thick béchamel sauce.

In its basic form, «moussaka» [pr. MOO-sah-kah] consists of sliced eggplant and ground lamb or beef that are layered, covered with a béchamel sauce enriched with eggs and/or cheese, then baked. It is a popular dish in Greece.

This recipe is incompatible with your food profile

Preparation : 45 min Cooking : 30 min Standing : 10 min Cooking Dish : 20 X 28 X 5 cm
580 calories/serving

Ingredients

1/2 onions, finely chopped 100 g
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 aubergines / eggplants, large size, sliced into 7 mm thick slices 900 g
1 tbsp olive oil 15 mL
460 g lean ground lamb
1/2 cup red wine 125 mL
1 1/2 cup canned tomatoes (diced) 380 g
1/2 tbsp dried oregano 1 g
1 pinch salt [optional] 0.2 g
ground pepper to taste [optional]
1 cup peanut oil, to fry the aubergines 250 mL
paper towels, to drain the aubergines
1/3 cup butter, unsalted, plus some to grease the baking dish 80 g
1/3 cup white flour (all purpose) 45 g
2 cups milk, partly skimmed, 2% 500 mL
1 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated 120 g
1/4 cup bread crumbs 35 g

Method

The aubergines, meat filling and béchamel sauce are cooked separately then assembled and baked.

Cook the meat filling

  1. Preheat the oven to 195°C/375°F. Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the onion and garlic; slice the aubergines into 7 mm thick slices.

  2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic then sauté 2-3 min, until they become translucent. Increase the heat to medium-high then add the ground meat. Sear it until it looses its red colour, about 4-5 min, then break it up with a fork. In order to brown the meat, it is important not to stir it at the beginning, otherwise it will loose its juices and will «boil» rather than brown. Using a bulb baster, remove any juices released from the meat and reserve them.
  3. When the meat is golden-coloured, pour in the wine and any reserved meat juices. Stir in the diced tomatoes and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture simmer uncovered about 30 min, until it thickens and is almost dry.

Cook the aubergines

  1. While the meat is cooking, fry the aubergine slices in a pan with the hot peanut oil, working in batches, until the slices are golden brown on each side (about 4 min per slice). Set the aubergines on paper towels to drain.

Cook the béchamel sauce

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and beat well using a whisk or a wooden spoon. Cook for 3 min, stirring constantly and taking care not to let it burn. Warm up the milk, then add it slowly while stirring thoroughly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat 4-5 min. Grate the cheese, then blend it into the sauce.

Assemble and bake

  1. Grease a baking dish, then arrange half of the aubergines in the bottom of the dish. Add a little salt, then spread the meat mixture over the aubergines. Top with the remaining aubergines. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top aubergine layer. For a nice golden crust, sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs (or additional grated cheese if you prefer).
  2. Cook in the middle of the oven about 30 min, until the top is golden and bubbling on the edges. Let cool 10 min before serving.

Observations

The meat filling and the béchamel sauce can be made 2-3 days ahead. In that case, fry the aubergines, assemble the moussaka, and bake it just before serving. Alternatively, the whole dish may be made in advance and just rewarmed until heated through when ready to serve (the aubergines will then be softer).

Nutrition Facts Table

per 1 serving (390 g)

Amount

% Daily Value

Calories

580

Fat

39 g

60 %

Saturated 18.9 g
+ Trans 0.6 g

97 %

Cholesterol

130 mg

Sodium

380 mg

16 %

Carbohydrate

25 g

8 %

Fibre

4 g

16 %

Sugars

10 g

Net Carbs

21 g

Protein

33 g

Vitamin A

34 %

Vitamin C

19 %

Calcium

32 %

Iron

23 %
More info

Claims

This recipe is :
Free  :
Added Sugar
Excellent source of  :
Calcium, Folacin, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2, Vitamin D, Zinc
Good source of  :
Fibre, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Vitamin K
Source of  :
Copper, Vitamin C
Low  :
Sodium
More info

DIABETES Exchange

1 serving of this recipe is equivalent to :
Food Group Exchanges
Starches ½
Vegetables 1
Milk and Alternatives ½
Meat and Alternatives 3
Fats 7 ½
More info
Check out our Meal Plans for Type 2 Diabetes

15% to 25% savings from one merchant to another. Imagine how much you could save on a full grocery cart!

Subscribe to our PLUS or PREMIUM plans and save $150/month* on your groceries.

I want to maximize my savings * Based on an average-sized household of 2.5 people

Cost of ingredients this week at your merchants *

* Costs estimated from Flyer Specials and average normal prices

Leave a review

You have to be logged in to leave a review
Your rating :
Would I make this recipe again?
Show Tips

Reviews are a valuable resource: they indicate whether members and their families are happy or not with a recipe. To be useful to other members, reviews should focus on the actual cooking and eating experience related to the recipe being reviewed.

Reviews written by someone who has not actually made or tasted the recipe, comments about other reviewers, other recipes or links to other sites, may be edited or deleted by our staff. Negative reviews are not deleted if the language is appropriate. If you come across an inappropriate review, please contact us.

Reviews

12 Reviews (12 with rating only) 100% would make this recipe again

My Notes

Show Tips

This space is reserved for your personal notes on the recipe. These notes are private and will only be visible to you. Here's an example of what these notes could say for a given recipe:

  • I replaced oregano by rosemary and it turned out great
  • use my large pan with the copper bottom
  • leave under the grill 3 minutes instead of 1 to get a golden crust

This website uses cookies to give the best user experience, monitor the site performance, offer social networks features, or display advertisements. By clicking "ACCEPT", you consent to the use of cookies in accordance to our privacy policy.