Easy Greek Moussaka Recipe (2024)

Easy Greek Moussaka Recipe

The ultimate comfort food dish to feed the whole family! This easy Greek moussaka recipe is filled with nourishing eggplant, zucchini and potato, with an amazing moussaka meat sauce and our simple no-lumps bechamel.

• ▢ 1 large eggplant sliced 1 cm thick
• ▢ 2 large zucchini sliced 1 cm thick
• ▢ 3 medium potatoes sliced 1/2 cm thick
• ▢ 500 g passata
• ▢ 350 g beef mince or homemade pasta sauce
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ 125 ml red wine shiraz or cab sav
• ▢ 50 g feta cheese
• ▢ olive oil
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

For the béchamel

• ▢ 100 g butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup plain flour / all purpose flour
• ▢ 3 cups milk full cream
• ▢ 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded cheese grated
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Metric – US Customary

For the moussaka base:

• Preheat the oven to 220˚celsius (430˚F).

• Line two baking trays with baking paper and spread out the eggplant and zucchini slices on top. Dab with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Flip them and dab with a little more olive oil, then bake again for a further 15 minutes. Once they’re done, pull them out and reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C (356˚F).

  1 large eggplant, 2 large zucchini

• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until translucent, then add the beef mince and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef has browned and any liquid has reduced.

  350 g beef mince, 1 onion, olive oil, salt and pepper

• In a separate frying pan, heat another 1-2tbsp olive oil over medium heat and fry the potato slices on both sides until lightly browned.

  olive oil, 3 medium potatoes

• Add the homemade pasta sauce (or sub with passata, or a can of diced tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste) in with the beef and onion, along with the red wine. Simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.

  125 ml red wine, 500 g passata

• Assemble the moussaka layers in a large baking dish in the following order: half of the potatoes, half of the meat sauce, eggplant, then remaining potatoes, zucchini andremaining beef sauce. Crumble feta cheese over the top.

  50 g feta cheese

For the easy no-lumps white sauce:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, flour and milk. Stir constantly and thoroughly with a small whisk to keep it smooth. Note: This step goes against most béchamel recipes, but it hasn’t failed us once! It will start to thicken after around 5 minutes.

  100 g butter, 1/2 cup plain flour / all purpose flour, 3 cups milk

• Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the nutmeg, salt, pepper, shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese has melted and sauce texture is smooth and creamy.

  1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 cup shredded cheese

To assemble:

• Pour the white sauce all over the moussaka base. Top with more grated cheese if you like, then pop it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheesy top is golden brown.

  1/2 cup shredded cheese

• Vegetables – Eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and onion for the beef sauce. If you can’t source (or don’t particularly like) one of the veggies, leave it out and increase the quantity of the other veggies to compensate. Roasting the eggplant and zucchini slices in the oven first helps to bring out their flavour and reduce moisture to leave you with a more firmly set moussaka. It also frees you up to prep other parts of the dish while they’re cooking!
• Meat – We use ground beef, but you can sub with lamb for a more traditional Greek moussaka.
• Tomato Sauce – Use homemade tomato sauce or sub with passata or diced tomatoes with a tbsp of tomato paste. It’s also a great way to use up leftover bolognese or ragu sauce!
• Red Wine – We love a good splash of shiraz or cab sav to add richness to the sauce. You can leave this out if you prefer.
• Feta – Adds a delicious saltiness to the finished moussaka.
• Bechamel Sauce – You’ll need easy staples including butter, flour, milk, Parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar or tasty cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cooking the Sauce – Make sure to cook it down until it’s nice and thick. This will give your moussaka more structure and help it hold its shape when serving.
• Speedier Prep – You could use fresh veggies instead of baking and frying them, however you will then need to increase the final baking time to ensure the potatoes cook through and soften nicely.
• Add Pasta – To make this dish more filling, you could add a layer or two of cooked pasta between the other veggie layers. If you do, you’ll probably need to use an extra large baking dish or split it across two baking dishes.
• Topping Ideas – Add a little extra texture and crunch by sprinkling the top with regular breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs or seasoned stuffing mix.

This recipe has been adapted from Not Quite Nigella.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Greek Moussaka Recipe

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.