Greek Moussaka Recipe

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Greek Moussaka Recipe ♥ The Moussaka Topping ♥ Moussaka With Potatoes
Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe ♥ A Twist On Moussaka
Moussaka Recipes From Your Favorite Chefs ♥ Tesco Finest Moussaka Taste Test

The ingredients you will need to make this tasty Greek Moussaka Recipe!

About 500g of lean minced (ground) lamb
2 Aubergines (Eggplants) medium to large in size
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 rounded tablespoons tomato purée
3 fl oz (75 ml) red wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The yogurt topping for the Greek Moussaka recipe

150ml greek yogurt
1 medium egg, beaten
50g feta cheese
25g freshly grated parmesan

Photo courtesy of abbyladybug

...or Amazon UK customers can follow the link below for:
The Foods of the Greek Islands

Prepare the aubergines for the Greek Moussaka recipe

Leave the skins on and slice the aubergines into approximately 10mm thick slices.

Put the slices into a colander and sprinkle them with about 1 level dessertspoon of salt. Stand the colander on a plate to catch the water which comes out of the aubergine and put another plate on top of the aubergine slices.

You now need to weigh this plate down with something heavy (I find that a couple of tins of soup works quite well) and leave them for about an hour to let the juice come out.

After an hour, squeeze out any of the excess juice from the aubergines and dry them well in a clean cloth.

Spread the aubergine slices on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them tossing them around to get a good coating.

Put the baking sheet in a pre heated oven (around 200 degrees) and roast the aubergines for 30 minutes or until they are browning at the edges.


Now the aubergine is ready to use in the Greek Moussaka recipe

Photo courtesy of Nic0

Prepare the lamb for the Moussaka recipe

Because the mince can have quite a lot of fat come out of it I usually dry fry the mince until it is nicely browned then remove it from the pan and put it to one side then discard any of the fat which has come out of it before using it in the moussaka.

Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions, garlic and thyme gently, without colouring, for about 10 minutes.

Stir the minced lamb back in and add the parsley, cinnamon, tomato purée and red wine and stir to combine the ingredients. Season the mixture well and cook gently for around 20 minutes, stirring occaisionally.


Now the lamb is ready to use in the Greek Moussaka recipe

Photo courtesy of PAgent

Prepare the topping for the Greek Moussaka recipe

It's true that Moussaka isn't the most healthy dish on the planet, thats why I prefer a yogurt topping for my moussaka recipe because it is a bit lighter than others I have tried but that is purely my preference. I will give you some alternative toppings for moussaka and you can choose which one you think that you would prefer.

Mix the yogurt with half of the cheeses and the beaten egg and season with ground pepper.

The yogurt topping is now ready to use in the Greek Moussaka recipe

White Sauce Topping For Greek Moussaka

30g finely grated Parmesan
568ml carton milk
1 bay leaf
3 black peppercorns
75g butter
75g plain flour
2 egg yolks

To make the white sauce for the moussaka put the milk along with the bay leaf and peppercorns into a saucepan. Over a low to medium heat bring the milk up to boiling point then remove it from the heat.
Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and stir in the flour, to make a roux, cook this for about 3 minutes.
Strain the milk and, using a wooden spoon, slowly stir it into the roux, only adding more milk after it has been smoothly absorbed into the roux.
You should end up with a thick sauce. Simmer this over a very low heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Then remove from the heat, beat in the egg yolks and add salt to taste.

Putting everything together to make the Greek Moussaka Recipe!

Line the bottom of a casserole dish with slices of aubergine, then spoon over some of the meat mixture. Build the layers of the moussaka up until all the meat and aubergine has been used.

Cover with the topping mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas 4 for about 1 hour until golden and bubbling.

Let the Moussaka stand for about 20 to 30 minutes before cutting and serving.


Enjoy the Moussaka!
Click for a printable version of the Greek Moussaka Recipe

Photo courtesy of abbyladybug

Ingredients needed to make Moussaka with potatoes

500 g aubergines, thickly sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
100 ml olive oil
500 g courgettes (zucchini), trimmed and sliced lengthways in thick slices
2 large onions, chopped
450 g minced lamb
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

For the white sauce

600 ml milk
50 g butter
4 tbsp cornflour
2 eggs
60 g freshly grated cheese, I like to use a strong cheddar but haloumi is good too
A good pinch of ground cinnamon

How to make the moussaka

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3.
Prepare the sliced aubergines for the moussaka as shown above, or alternatively, sprinkle the slices with salt and put them on kitchen paper for a couple of hours to let the liquid rum out. Rinse the aubergine slices and thoroughly dry with more kitchen paper.
Heat a little of the olive oil in a pan and fry the potato slices until they turn golden brown, then turn them onto kitchen paper to drain. Repeat this process the courgettes and finally, the aubergines.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over moderate heat and add the onions, cooking until softened and beginning to turn golden.
Add the minced lamb to the saucepan, stir, and fry for a few minutes until the lamb changes color.
Now stir in the tomatoes, cinnamon and parsley and season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn down the heat and simmer until the mixture is thick and the liquid is absorbed.

To make the white sauce for the moussaka:

Put 3/4 of the milk into a small saucepan together with the butter and heat through.
Mix the rest of the milk with the cornflour, whisk in the eggs then add the grated cheese and cinnamon.
Mix a little of the warm milk, gradually, into the egg mixture, then slowly stir this mixture into the saucepan of milk and heat over a low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens.

Assemble the moussaka by layering the potatoes, aubergines, cougettes and mince, then cover with the white sauce and bake for 1-1½ hours until the top turns nice and brown.

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Greek Revival: Cooking for Life

Ingredients for the vegetarian moussaka

Ingredients for the moussaka topping

2 aubergines, each 8 oz (225 g)
10 fl oz (275 ml) vegetable stock
2 oz (50 g) Puy lentils
2 oz (50 g) Green lentils
4 tablespoons olive oil
Large red pepper, deseeded and diced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained
7 fl oz (200 ml) red wine
2 level tbs tomato purée
1 level tsp cinnamon
2 level tbs parsley, chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

250g tub of ricotta
10 fl oz (275 ml) whole milk
1 oz (25 g) plain flour
1 oz (25 g) butter
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
1 large egg
1 oz (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

First of all pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) and prepare the aubergines, or egg plants, by one of the methods given above.
Put the stock and the Puy lentils into a saucepan, cover and simmer for 15 minutes then add the green lentils. Cover the pan again and cook for another 15 minutes, most of the stock should now have been absorbed and the lentils should be soft.
While the lentils are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they soften and and begin to go brown at the, add the chopped pepper and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic an cook the mixture for another minute. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
Rinse and dry the aubergines, then add the rest of the oil to the frying pan, and on a high heat cook the aubergines until they begin to brown a little on both sides. Add the tomatoes and the onion and pepper mixture to the pan. Add the wine, tomato puree and cinnamon and stir well.
Now add the lentils and chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently while you make the sauce for the moussaka topping.
To make the sauce for the moussaka topping place the milk, flour, butter and nutmeg in a saucepan and whisk (using a balloon whisk) until it begins to simmer and becomes a smooth glossy sauce.
Remove the sauce from the heat, let it cool slightly then season with salt and pepper and whisk in the ricotta followed by the beaten egg.
Now all that's left to do to make the vegetarian moussaka is to transfer the vegetable and lentil mix into an ovenproof dish and spoon the cheese sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and and bake on the middle shelf for about 1 hour.

Click For A Printable Version Of The Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe

If you want to try some more lentil recipes you may like my Lentil Curry or my Lentil Soup Recipes

...or Amazon UK customers can follow the link below for:
The Greek Vegetarian

We enjoyed the taste of this moussaka, it was full of lamb mince in a rich sauce, layered with aubergines, potatoes and tomatoes, and topped with a bechamel sauce and cheese.
I thought the whole slices of tomato were a little too thick and unusual though, and, I am not sure that I thought that they brought anything to the moussaka.


I suppose the advantage of a ready made moussaka is that it comes in its own baking try which you just pop into a pre heated oven, this one takes between 45 to 50 minutes to cook, and you just throw away the tray afterwards so you don't have any stubborn, burnt on bits to cope with in the washing up.
The moussaka is plenty for 2 generous servings, we served our moussaka with a green salad and crusty bread on the side, so it made a filling meal.
Nutritional values for a half pack of moussaka:
580kcal, 24.2g Protein, 24.7g Carbohydrate (of which 10.3g are sugars), a scary 42.6g Fat (15.0g saturates), 10.9g Fibre, 1g Sodium, 2.5g Salt Equivalent.

Tesco Finest Moussaka Pros

Tesco Finest Moussaka Cons

The moussaka is ready made so no preparation time is required.

There is no stubborn washing up to do as the moussaka comes in its own foil tray which you just throw away after cooking.

2 generous servings, and, overall a nice flavoured lamb moussaka

The tomatoes are really too thick, the woody cores were left in (one of my pet hates with tomatoes), and the flesh was still firm.

Though the top of the moussaka looks reasonably similar to the photo on the box before you serve it up I defy anyone to remove the moussaka from it's cooking tray and have it look on the plate as it does in the picture on the box... Impossible!

Overall Rating For Tesco Finest Classic Lamb Moussaka: 7/10

If You Enjoyed This Greek Moussaka Recipe Lens You Make Like My Others.
Click the links to view the other recipes.Easy, Creamy Eggplant (Aubergine)Curry ♥ Lentil Curry
Potato And Cauliflower Curry ♥ Spicy Leek And Potato Soup ♥ Celery Soup
Yorkshire Pudding ♥ Ginger Beer ♥ How To Pickle An Onion ♥ Shepherds Pie
Best Lentil Soup Recipes