My classic in 2 photos below: Recipe here
GREEK MOUSSAKA (A variation on my classic)
Now for my Moussaka with a Twist - I used this type of eggplant below but I peeled them before roasting them. Mine were smaller than in the picture. I peeled them because this type of eggplant skin can be bitter or tough.
Wow, you will love this version of my Greek Moussaka. I savored this meal, too, until it was finally all gone days later! The variation on my classic low-carb Moussaka recipe was ever so tasty as well! Moussaka is to the Greeks what Lasagna is to Italians. If you love eggplant you’ll love this classic dish that is beloved of not only Greek people. The roasted eggplant is used instead of pasta sheets. Serve with a Greek salad or any salad of your choosing. If you have more than the amount of eggplant suggested, make it all, as you will be so tempted to taste several pieces once they are roasted. Roasted eggplant is so delicious!
Japanese eggplant: This is the eggplant I used in my classic recipe: here
INGREDIENTS:
11/2 to 2 lbs eggplant as in the photo above (0.68 kg - 0.9 kg)
5 tbsp olive oil (75 mL)
1/2 tsp seasoning salt (2 mL)
11/2 lbs lean ground beef (0.68 kg)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (411 g)
1/4 cup tomato paste (60 mL)
11/2 tsp salt (7 mL)
1 tsp oregano (5 mL)
1 tsp cinnamon (5 mL)
1/2 tsp black pepper (2 mL)
1/4 tsp allspice (1 mL)
4 to 6 Havarti cheese slices to cover the top
White Sauce:
6 oz cream cheese (180 g)
11/2 cups almond milk, OR (375 mL)
a mixture of whipping cream and water (half and half)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (75 mL)
3 tbsp butter (45 mL)
2 eggs, fork beaten
1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)
1/4 tsp black pepper (1 mL)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Cut ends of eggplant off, peel them and slice them thinly and place in large bowl. In small bowl combine olive oil and seasoning salt. Pour over eggplant and toss to combine. Place on cookie sheets in one layer and roast eggplant about 20 minutes or until browned and either soft or crispy (some will be soft and some crispy – thinner slices will be crispy). Set aside.
In nonstick frying pan, cook ground beef, breaking it up very small, over medium heat until browning. Add tomatoes {I like to put these in the blender first and better yet I often use fresh Roma tomatoes (or ones I have previously weighed and frozen) and blend them}, tomato paste, salt, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper and allspice, and continue cooking on slightly lower heat for a while. While meat is simmering, make the white sauce.
White Sauce: In sauce pot or frying pan, combine cream cheese (broken into small bits), almond milk, OR cream mixture, Parmesan cheese and butter. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. In small bowl, stir some of the sauce into eggs which have been beaten with the salt and pepper, and add back to the rest of the sauce over very low heat; remove quickly from heat as the sauce thickens.
Reduce oven heat to 350°F (180°C). In 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish, layer some white sauce, eggplant, meat, and repeat ending with meat and some white sauce (won’t fully cover). Place Havarti cheese slices over top to cover. Bake 35 minutes and then broil on high a few minutes to brown the cheese and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: 9 servings
1 serving434.8 calories
22.5 g protein
34.5 g fat
1.1 g fiber
8.8 g net carbs