Beef Moussaka with Cinnamon & Honey

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 40

Servings 4 people

Keyword festive recipe, gluten free, summer recipe

Ingredients

6 Potatoes
2 Aubergines
500 g Beef (minced) Could swap with lamb
500 ml Bechamel
30 g Butter (unsalted)
Olive oil
Nutmeg (ground)
Salt
Black pepper

Tomato Sauce:

5 Tomatoes
1 Onion (yellow)
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Honey
2 tsp Cinnamon (ground)

Instructions

Tomato Sauce:

Finely slice the onions & chop the tomatoes into large chunks.
Fry the onions with olive oil in a saucepan until golden.
Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, honey, salt and pepper.
Let it reduce for 25 minutes (or longer, until youre ready to prepare the meat) over medium heat. You should get a thick sauce.

Moussaka:

Slice the aubergines into rounds (without peeling them), generously salt them, and let them sweat in a colander while you proceed with the next steps.
Peel and slice the potatoes into thin rounds.
Layer the potato slices at the bottom of a greased or non-stick, deep baking dish. Drizzle the potatoes with a few tablespoons of juice from the simmering tomato sauce.
Place the dish with the potatoes under the grill for 5 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven) until the potatoes are golden.
Once the aubergines have sweated, fry the slices in a hot pan, lightly browning both sides, then set them aside.
In a large pan, brown the minced meat in butter over fairly high heat. Season with salt and pepper, and drain off any liquid released by the meat.
Add the meat to the tomato sauce to the meat. Reduce to very low heat and let it simmer gently.
Take the potato dish out of the oven and preheat the oven to 200C (fan oven).
Assemble the Moussaka: on top of the potato layer, spread half the minced meat mixture with the tomato sauce, then layer half the aubergines, followed by the remaining meat, the remaining aubergines, a drizzle of olive oil, and finish with the bechamel sauce.

Notes

Honestly - that one takes a while to make but it's totally worth it!! I can't order Moussakas in restaurant anymore because this one is the best recipe ever!! Even better if you are motivated to also make your bechamel from scratch but I am a bit lazy on that side ;). If you make it the day before, it's even better reheated!!!

Recipe shared by Aurianeg