Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Beef Bake

• Meat

  • 1 1/3 lb Ground beef

• Produce

  • 2 Eggplants / aubergines, cut into 1/4" / 3/4cm thick slices, large
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Onion, yellow white brown
  • 2 tsp Oregano, dried
  • 14 oz Tomatoes

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg + 1 egg yolk

• Canned Goods

  • 1 cup Beef broth/stock
  • 3 tbsp Tomato paste

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 5 tbsp Plain flour
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sugar

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 3 tbsp Olive oil

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

• Dairy

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Found on recipetineats.com

Description

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants / aubergines, cut into ¼ / ¾cm thick slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (brown, white, yellow)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.4lb/700g ground beef (beef mince)
• 14oz/400g crushed tomatoes (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (Note 1)
• 1 cup beef broth/stock (or water + 1 beef bouillon cube) (Note 1)
• 1½ tsp sugar (any)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp plain flour
• 3 cups milk (I use low fat)
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (Note 3)
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk (Note 4)
• Salt and pepper
• ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 5)

Directions

• Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and place them (stacked) in a large colander. Leave to sweat for 30 minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel.
• Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Lay eggplant onto 2 large baking trays, brush with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until just softened. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, then cook the garlic and onion for 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook, using the wooden spoon to break up the mince as you go. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, then cover, lower heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes.
• Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, using a whisk to keep it moving.
• Add 1 cup of milk and whisk to combine. It will thicken quite quickly, then add the remaining milk. Whisk until smooth then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until it thickens so that it thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon, as per photo below.
• Remove from the stove and whisk in cheese. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk the eggs in.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types).
• Place half the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish (I used my 26cm/9 Lodge skillet), then top with all the Filling.
• Top with remaining eggplant, then pour over the Béchamel Sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.