Greek-Australian Moussaka
A comforting layered bake of tender eggplant, potato, and cinnamon-spiced meat sauce, crowned with a thick, golden béchamel crust.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 580 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep rectangular baking dish
- •Large frypan
- •Medium saucepan
- •Baking trays
- •Whisk
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- fat
- 34 g
- carbs
- 38 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 32 g
- calories
- 580 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and lightly oil a deep rectangular baking dish.
- 2
Arrange eggplant and potato slices on baking trays, brush with olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes until tender.
- 3
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a frypan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and sweet.
- 4
Add the garlic, beef mince, and cinnamon, cooking until the mince is browned all over.
- 5
Stir in the canned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.
- 6
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the plain flour, and cook for one minute.
- 7
Gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth, simmering gently until the béchamel thickens.
- 8
Take the sauce off the heat, let it cool slightly, then whisk in nutmeg, half the cheese, and the egg.
- 9
Layer the cooked potato across the base of the dish, spread over the meat sauce, then top with eggplant.
- 10
Pour over the béchamel sauce, spread evenly to the corners, and scatter with the remaining cheese.
- 11
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is bubbling and deeply golden brown.
- 12
Rest the moussaka for 20 minutes before slicing so the neat layers hold together.
Chef's tips
Salting the sliced eggplant for twenty minutes before roasting draws out excess moisture and prevents a watery bake. Letting the moussaka rest after baking is critical for clean, neat slices.
Ingredient substitutions
- beef mince → lamb mince for a richer, more traditional flavour
- kefalotyri cheese → grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat individual portions in a moderate oven at 180°C until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting into the dish straight out of the oven, which causes the layers to slide apart.
- •Skipping pre-cooking the potatoes, leaving hard undercooked slices at the base.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Greek-Australian Moussaka?
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