Moussaka

Moussaka is a weekend project with a golden, bubbling payoff: layers of tender eggplant and cinnamon-spiced lamb under a thick cap of cheesy béchamel. Fresh mint, oregano, and Fresno chiles give this take on the Greek casserole a little extra punch.One task we won’t ask of you: frying all that eggplant in batches. Instead, brush the slices with garlic-herb oil and roast them, hands-off. Get the lamb-and-tomato sauce going while the eggplant’s in the oven, or spread the prep over a couple of days.Choose a baking dish you’ll be happy to plop on the table—this one deserves to be seen. Resist the urge to dig in right away: The moussaka needs a 30-minute rest after baking, just enough time to toss together a crunchy Greek salad.Moussaka FAQsCan I make moussaka ahead of time?Yes—and you don’t have to make every component on the same day. You can refrigerate the lamb-and-tomato sauce and roasted eggplant separately for up to 3 days, and the béchamel for up to 2 days. You can also bake the whole casserole 1 day ahead; let it cool, then cover and chill.Yes. Bake the casserole first, let it cool, then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating in a 250° oven until warmed through, about 1 hour.How do I keep moussaka from turning watery?Give the meat sauce time to thicken: Most of the liquid should cook off before you start layering. The béchamel should be as thick as pudding before the cheese and egg yolks go in. And don’t rush the 30-minute rest after baking—it’s part of the recipe, not a serving suggestion.Recipe informationTotal Time1 hour 30 minutes plus coolingIngredientsEggplant and Lamb8garlic cloves, finely grated, divided½cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil2Tbsp. chopped mint, divided2Tbsp. chopped oregano, divided3medium eggplants (about 3½ lb. total), sliced crosswise into ½"-thick rounds2½tsp. kosher salt, plus more½tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more2lb. ground lamb2medium onions, chopped13" cinnamon stick2Fresno chiles, finely chopped1Tbsp. paprika1Tbsp. tomato paste¾cup dry white wine128-oz. can whole peeled tomatoesBéchamel and Assembly6Tbsp. unsalted butter½cup all-purpose flour2½cups whole milk, warmed¾tsp. kosher salt4oz. farmer cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)2oz. Pecorino or Parmesan, finely grated (about 1¾ cups), divided3large egg yolks, beaten to blendNeed to make a substitution?PreparationEggplant and LambStep 1Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 475°. Whisk half of the garlic, ½ cup oil, 1 Tbsp. mint, and 1 Tbsp. oregano in a small bowl. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds with herb oil, making sure to get all the herbs and garlic onto eggplant; season with salt and pepper. Transfer eggplant to a rimmed baking sheet (it’s okay to pile the rounds on top of each other) and roast until tender and browned, 35–45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°.Step 2Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large wide pot over high. Cook lamb, breaking up with a spoon, until browned on all sides and cooked through and liquid from meat is evaporated (there will be a lot of rendered fat), 12–16 minutes. Strain fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean small bowl and transfer lamb to a medium bowl. Reserve 3 Tbsp. lamb fat; discard remaining fat.Step 3Heat 2 Tbsp. lamb fat in same pot over medium-high (reserve remaining 1 Tbsp. lamb fat for assembling the moussaka). Add onion, cinnamon, 2½ tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Add chiles and remaining garlic and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add paprika and tomato paste and cook until brick red in color, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and no longer smells of alcohol, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon into small pieces (the seeds will shoot out at you if you’re too aggressive, so start slowly—puncture the tomato, then get your smash and break on!). Add lamb and remaining 1 Tbsp. mint and 1 Tbsp. oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated and mixture looks like a thick meat sauce, 5–7 minutes. Pluck out and discard cinnamon stick.Béchamel and AssemblyStep 4Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium until foaming. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until combined, about 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk and bring sauce to a boil. Cook béchamel, whisking often, until very thick (it should have the consistency of pudding), about 5 minutes; stir in salt. Remove from heat and whisk in farmer cheese and half of the Pecorino. Let sit 10 minutes for cheese to melt, then add egg yolks and vigorously whisk until combined and béchamel is golden yellow.Step 5Brush a 13x9" baking pan with remaining 1 Tbsp. lamb fat. Layer half of eggplant in pan, covering the bottom entirely. Spread half of lamb mixture over eggplant in an even layer. Repeat with remaining eggplant and lamb to make another layer of each. Top with béchamel and smooth surface; sprinkle with remaining Pecorino.Step 6Bake moussaka until bubbling vigorously and béchamel is browned in spots, 30–45 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before serving.Do Ahead: Moussaka can be baked 1 day ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating in a 250° oven until warmed through, about 1 hour.Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in September 2017. Head this way for more of our favorite casserole dishes →Recipe notesBack to topTriangle