Рецепт Moussaka; Eggplant Casserole
Individual serving of moussaka.
Moussaka is a Greek entree, which features layers of tomato seasoned ground meat, eggplant and a cream sauce. There are many variations of this classic, Mediterranean dish. I wrote an article for Suite101 on moussaka a few months ago: Eggplant Moussaka Recipe; Classic Greek Style Lasagna.
Potato Laced Moussaka
Yesterday I came up with a potato laced version of moussaka, which I am sharing on the Cuisine Diva site. The inspiration for this recipe came from a moussaka I tasted at Round Green Pie at the Boynton Beach mall. Their version used ground beef, but since I have mostly eliminated beef from my diet, I made my moussaka with ground turkey. The top layer of potato laced moussaka reminds me of au gratin potatoes. Thinly sliced layers of potatoes, mixed with lots of creamy, cheesy sauce - heaven!
Inexpensive plastic mandoline slicer.
Mandoline Slicer
You will need a mandoline slicer in order to cut the eggplant and potatoes thin enough so they don't require pre-cooking. If you have to slice the eggplant and potatoes by hand, you may have to partially cook them, before adding them to the moussaka. You definitely don't want semi-raw potatoes - invest in a mandoline slicer if you don't already have one.
If you have an inexpensive plastic mandoline, like I do, make sure you DON'T place it on a hot stove. In the picture above, the bottom of the mandoline was starting to melt and stuck to my stove. I guess I forgot I had just used that burner to make the cream sauce, and it hadn't cooled down yet. NICE! Maybe it's time to invest in one of those fancy-pants, restaurant grade, stainless steel mandolines.
Ground turkey and tomato mixture spread on the bottom of baking dish.
I use my mandoline slicer all the time - to slice carrots, zucchini, cheese, cucumber and tons of other stuff. I have a cheap, plastic mandoline slicer which came with all sorts of slicing and grating attachments. High quality stainless steel mandolines can cost $100 or more.
Beginnings of cream sauce on the left. Finished cream sauce on the right, after whisking in the eggs.
Ingredients for Moussaka Recipe
- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
- 1 cup tomato sauce - divided in half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- or margarine
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large eggplant
- Approximately 1 pound waxy, yellow potatoes - peeled and sliced extremely thin
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese - mixture of mozzarella, asiago and Parmesan
Left - first layer of eggplant, beginning to add tomato sauce. Right - second layer of eggplant added, topped with cream sauce.
Directions for Moussaka Recipe
Place the ground turkey in a large frying pan, placed over medium heat.
If you are using ground white meat turkey breast, as opposed to dark meat turkey, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the bottom of the pan, to ensure the turkey doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Break up and stir the turkey until it is no longer pink in the center.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, oregano and salt.
Cook for another minute or two, until the sauce is heated through.
Place the ground meat mixture on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch rectangular, glass baking dish.
Peel the eggplant, cut it in half, and slice thin using a mandoline slicer. You need to have enough eggplant slices, to make two layers.
Add 1 layer of eggplant slices on top of the ground turkey mixture.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on top of the eggplant slices.
To make the cream sauce, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan, placed over medium heat.
Whisk in the flour and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk, and turn the heat to medium high.
Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken.
Whisk in the Parmesan cheese.
Remove the sauce from the stove.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs.
Whisk the eggs into the saucepan of cream sauce.
Add the 2nd layer of eggplant slices to the baking dish.
Top the 2nd layer of eggplant with 1/3 of the cream sauce.
Add the first layer of potatoes, and top with 1/3 of the cream sauce.
Top with the second layer of potatoes and top with the remaining cream sauce.
Sprinkle the top of the moussaka with the grated Italian cheese mixture.
Place the baking dish on a large baking sheet and place in 400 degree preheated oven.
Bake the moussaka for 45 to 60 minutes, until dark golden brown on top.
Let cool slightly before serving, the moussaka will be like molten lava!
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Thinly sliced potatoes added to the baking dish.
The moussaka, topped with shredded cheese, waiting to go in the oven.
Complete Meal
Serve the moussaka with other Greek inspired recipes.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva