Grain free Moussaka

Food Recipes
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I love this dish, the recipe is from gourmetgirlcooks.
Moussaka (Topped w/ Grain-Free Bechamel)

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium eggplants, sliced lengthwise 1/4" thick (peeled, if desired)
Olive oil (as needed)
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground lamb)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

For the “Bechamel” Cheese Sauce
1 lb. ricotta
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for sprinkling on top)
Nutmeg, dash/pinch
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, optional

Directions:

Grease an 11 x 7” baking pan or similar sized casserole dish. Line a large cookie sheet with foil.

Brush each side of sliced eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on cookie sheet; broil until lightly brown; turn and broil the other side, brushing with additional oil, if needed until fork tender (alternatively, eggplant can be grilled). Arrange half the eggplant slices in the bottom of prepared baking dish; set aside.

While eggplant is cooking, in a large skillet, brown beef and onions; breaking beef into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are soft and translucent; add garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add tomato sauce, oregano, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper (to taste); simmer uncovered about 10 minutes (there should not be much liquid left). Pour meat mixture over eggplant slices. Arrange the remaining eggplant slices over the beef mixture.

To make the bechamel/cheese sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and dash of nutmeg until smooth and well blended; add salt and pepper to taste (careful not to over salt). Whisk in cream, to desired consistency. Pour the cheese sauce over the top of casserole and spread evenly. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on top, if desired. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes. If desired, run casserole under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown. Let sit about 15-20 minutes to set before cutting into squares. Serves approximately 4 to 5.

***Note: Even though 8 ounces of tomato sauce is not much, the tomato sauce is only used to flavor the meat and keep it moist; it isn’t supposed to be like lasagna meat sauce. If you prefer not to add cinnamon to the meat mixture, you may omit it; however it is the unique flavor that “makes this dish” and gives it authentic flavor. Be sure to cook eggplant slices until completely tender (this is not a vegetable that is pleasant undercooked unless you like chewing on erasers).

4 Likes
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wow, that sounds really good! we love moussaka too.[quote=“Pastelpainter, post:1, topic:61261”]
chewing on erasers
[/quote]

LOL. I usually brush mine with olive oil and bake it on cookie sheets covered w foil at 375-400 about 30 min.

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It wasn’t my note, Marie. But I have to say I have enough trouble with being told to eat cardboard (some dietitian favoured crackers) and adding erasers to this would not make my day.
I use a big rectangular deep dish that in days long gone I would make lasagne in. There is a picture of the dish on gourmetgirlcooks.

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I saw the picture on their website - GORGEOUS - and all the comments on the recipe were positive. As much as love a traditional Bechamel, I think this might be worth a try. thanks for posting Maureen!

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The recipe above is interesting. I have an eggplant in the fridge.

For eggplant, I usually “sweat” them for several hours on a towel. Sprinkle the slices with sea salt and tons of water will be released. Change out the towel and flip the eggplant and sprinkle again with sea salt. The second towel will get wet, too. After this dessicating process, I brush off the salt with another towel. It sounds complicated, but it makes a difference.

Dip each slice in scrambled egg and coat then in some kind of cheese. Fry quickly and flip to finish. Then serve with any sauce you want. The eggplant will be light and crunchy. Yum, yum.

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@Robert17: Robert, I have never been a fan of eggplant, but do like the Moussaka. Your recipe sounds delicious. Do you really mean runny scrambled egg or just beaten egg?

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I do the salting also. and @Robert17’s egg method I just learned this past year. Just beathen eggs. This works great if you’re doing an eggplant parmesan. Layer the fried eggplant with slices of fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce, grated parm & torn basil. bake until bubbly hot.

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Just beaten eggs… I made Eggplant Napoleon for my mother-in-law when she came over. She loved it and keeps mentioning it every time I see her.

Do the Eggplant as I descibed. Then, put Baba Ghanouche on top.

2 Likes
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so eggplant on eggplant - LOVE this idea - so do you make a traditional baba ghanoush with the tahini and roasted eggplant? Is it served room temperature?

btw, I’ve found this way of preparing eggplant you can freeze the individual slices of cooked eggplant - cooled - wrapped in wax paper and zipper bags, if you’re going to use it in a saucy dish like moussaka.

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No, heated. I stacked little eggplant slices on top of bigger ones, for dramatic effect. I got oohs and aahs. Berry (my wife’s name) prefers a tomato basil sauce and parmesan that I use.

1 Like
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next time you make it, I would love it to see a picture. The visual image I have is the pyramids of eggplant stacked with a little baba ghanoush in between, on top of a generous amount of tomato basil sauce