Easy Greek Moussaka Recipe
Are you ready to make a Greek dish that will knock your socks off? Moussaka is a staple in Greek cuisine, and it tastes absolutely amazing. It's filled with layers of cheese, potatoes, and lamb... and really, what's not to love? Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply is the brains behind this classic Greek dish, and luckily, she's made an easy version for us to follow. Yep, that means you don't need to spend hours in the kitchen trying to make it — and that is one of our favorite parts about this recipe! "This is a simplified version of moussaka which can take hours to create," Dalton explains of the usually-complicated dish. "The great thing about this dish is that you still get all the great taste of moussaka in much less time — so it's perfect for a midweek family meal."
Another great thing about this dish is that you can make it ahead of time. "This can be made well in advance and baked at a later date if you are entertaining," Dalton shares. "And [it] can also be frozen and reheated for up to three months." Keep reading to find out how to make this easy Greek moussaka recipe.
Gather the ingredients to prepare this easy Greek moussaka recipe
The first thing you need to do to prepare this easy Greek moussaka is gather the necessary items. This recipe calls for quite a few items, so let's get right to business. First, you will need potatoes, thinly sliced into rounds. You will also need one large eggplant or two smaller ones, which will be cut into bite-sized pieces. Also, while you're in the vegetable section, be sure to grab a red onion, which you'll finely chop for this recipe.
Now, let's move on to the cooking ingredients and spices. For starters, get some vegetable oil and beef broth. In addition, be sure you have dried oregano, bay leaf, and garlic cloves. The next item you will need is ground lamb, followed by a can of chopped tomatoes and then some ground cinnamon. Then, grab some sugar, an egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Last but not least, get Greek yogurt, crumbled feta cheese, cheddar cheese, and fresh parsley for garnish. Phew, that's it!
Preheat the oven, and boil the potatoes
Before you do anything else, turn the oven to 425 F, and let it preheat. That way, it will be nice and hot when you're ready to use it. Next, get a pot, and add water and a little bit of salt. Put it on the stove, and crank up the heat. Wait for the water to boil and, once it starts to bubble, throw in the sliced potatoes. Cook them for about six minutes until they are tender, but not so much so that they're falling apart. Dump them through a colander and drain the water, then set the potatoes to the side.
Sauté the veggies and meat
Once you've finished boiling the potatoes, it's time to move onto the next part of this recipe. Take out a large skillet or a nonstick pan, whichever you have available. Place the pan on your stove and drizzle in the oil. Next, add in the finely diced onion and the chopped eggplant. Remember that you should have sliced and diced these both of these ahead of time.
Let the veggies sauté for three to four minutes. You can set a timer or just keep an eye on the clock. Then, throw in the ground lamb, and cook for an additional three to four minutes until the meat browns.
Let the mixture thicken
Now that you have your veggies and lamb have cooked to perfection, it's time to add a few more ingredients to make the sauce. Throw in the canned tomatoes, beef broth, cinnamon, and oregano, and bay leaf. At this time, you will also want to toss in the sugar, salt, and pepper to season. Cook the mixture on high until it begins to thicken. In the meantime, mix the beaten egg with the cheese and the yogurt, and then stir well to combine.
Assemble the moussaka, and enjoy
Now things are starting to shape up. Grab an ovenproof dish, and put half of the sliced potatoes in a single layer. Next, spoon over half of the lamb, and repeat the layers until you finish with a layer of lamb. Be sure to remove the bay leaf from the tomato and lamb mixture before adding it to the dish. Then, add the cheese and yogurt sauce on top.
Put the dish in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes until the top starts to bubble. Once you remove the moussaka from the oven, garnish with parsley. Now, it's ready to be served. "It's a meal within itself, so it's great with a green salad," Dalton shares. We hope you liked this short, sweet, and simplified version of Greek moussaka!
- 3 potatoes, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 large eggplant or 2 small ones, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups ground lamb
- 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup of feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 ½ cups of Greek yogurt
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Add the sliced potatoes to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for around 6 minutes until they are tender, but not soft so they're falling apart. Then drain and put to one side.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and eggplant and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Then add the chopped garlic and ground lamb and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned.
- Then add the tinned tomatoes, beef broth, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper to season and cook on a high heat until it begins to thicken.
- Meanwhile, mix the beaten egg with the cheese and yogurt and stir well to combine.
- To prepare the moussaka, put half of the potato slices into an ovenproof dish in one single layer. Then spoon over half the lamb and eggplant. Be sure to remove the bay leaf. Repeat the layers until you finish with a layer of the lamb. Top with the yogurt cheese sauce.
- Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the top is bubbling.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
| Calories per Serving | 783 |
| Total Fat | 46.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21.4 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 167.9 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 53.5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 12.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 17.0 g |
| Sodium | 1,850.1 mg |
| Protein | 41.6 g |
