Moussaka

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

54 people added this to their Recipe Box

This recipe makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 eggplants , (2-1/2 lbs/1.25 kg)2 2eggplants, (2-1/2 lbs/1.25 kg)
1 tbsp salt 1 1tbsp tbspsalt
2 tbsp olive oil 2 2tbsp tbspolive oil
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/2 1/2cup cupfresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 1/4cup cupgrated Parmesan cheese
Meat Sauce:
2 lb (1 kg) lean ground beef 2 2lb lb(1 kg) lean ground beef
2 onions , chopped2 2oniononions, chopped
4 garlic cloves , minced4 4garlic clovegarlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano 1 1tbsp tbspdried oregano
1 tsp cinnamon 1 1tsp tspcinnamon
1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 1/4tsp tsppepper
1 cup red wine 1 1cup cupred wine
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) tomatoes 1 1can (19 oz/540 mL) can (19 oz/540 mL)tomatotomatoes
1 can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) tomato paste 1 1can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL)tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/2 1/2cup cupchopped fresh parsley
Cheese Sauce:
1/4 cup butter 1/4 1/4cup cupbutter
1/4 cup flour 1/4 1/4cup cupflour
2 cups milk 2 2cups cupsmilk
1/2 tsp salt 1/2 1/2tsp tspsalt
1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 1/4tsp tspnutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 1/4tsp tsppepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 1cup cupcrumbled feta cheese
4 eggs , beaten4 4eggeggs, beaten
2 cups pressed dry cottage cheese 2 2cups cupspressed dry cottage cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Cut eggplants into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices; layer in colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Meat Sauce: Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef over high heat, breaking up with spoon, for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Spoon off any fat. Add onions, garlic, oregano, cinnamon and pepper to pan; cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onions are softened.

Add wine, tomatoes and tomato paste, breaking up tomatoes with spoon; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer vigorously for 10 minutes or until mixture does not fill in when spoon is drawn through pan. Stir in parsley. Set aside.

Rinse eggplant; drain well and pat dry. In batches, brush eggplant with oil and broil on baking sheet, turning once, for 8 to12 minutes or until golden and translucent. Set aside.

Cheese Sauce: In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes, without browning. Gradually whisk in milk until boiling and thickened enough to coat back of spoon. Season with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly, stirring occasionally.

Rinse feta under cold water; drain well. In large bowl, whisk together feta, eggs and cottage cheese; whisk in cheese sauce.

Spread half of the meat sauce in greased 13-x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish.

Spoon 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the cheese sauce on top, spreading evenly. Layer with half of the eggplant, overlapping if necessary. Repeat layers once. Pour remaining cheese sauce over top. (Make-ahead: Cover with plastic wrap, overwrap with foil and freeze for up to 3 weeks; thaw in refrigerator for 48 hours before continuing.)

Combine bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over casserole. Bake in oven for 70 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes; cut into squares.