Mediterranean
Moussaka
Moussaka is Mediterranean home cooking, eaten at dinner. On the plate it is the dish at the centre. Below is what usually sits beside it, what it does and does not contain, and what else to cook once you have made it.
Ingredients
- 3 eggplants
- 1.5 lb ground lamb
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1.5 tsp salt
How to cook it
- Heat the oven to 400F, slice the eggplants into rounds, brush them with olive oil, and roast until soft and golden, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile cook the ground lamb with the onion and garlic in a skillet until browned, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and simmer 15 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk and cook until thick, stirring in the parmesan.
- Layer half the eggplant in a baking dish, spread with the meat sauce, then top with the remaining eggplant.
- Pour the bechamel over the top and smooth it out.
- Bake until bubbling and golden, about 35 minutes, then rest 15 minutes before cutting.
Safe at your table
Dinejot tracks ten allergens and tags every one of them by hand, so the absences below are as deliberate as the presences. Moussaka carries dairy and gluten. It is free of the remaining 8 allergens on that list.
| Allergen | In this dish | Cook this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | No | |
| Tree nuts | No | |
| Dairy | Yes | Baked Falafel Plate |
| Gluten | Yes | Baked Falafel Plate |
| Shellfish | No | |
| Eggs | No | |
| Soy | No | |
| Fish | No | |
| Sesame | No | |
| Coconut | No |
These tags are set by a person rather than inferred from an ingredient list, and they describe the recipe as written here. Read the labels on whatever you actually buy.
What it brings to the plate
Bands, not numbers. Dinejot does not weigh anybody's food, so it says light, moderate or hearty and stops there. This dish was read and set by hand.
- Calorie band
- Hearty
- Protein
- High
- Protein quality
- Complete
- Food groups it covers
- Meat or fish, Vegetables, and Dairy
- How this was set
- Hand audited
When to cook it
Moussaka takes about 105 minutes from a cold stove to the table, and the cooking itself is a proper project. It is eaten at dinner. Nothing in the calendar rules it out, so it is a year round dish.
More to cook
Cooked from the same things
Other dishes built on eggplant, lamb, and tomato.
From the same kitchens
More cooking from the United States.
Does the same job on the plate
Swap any of these in when you want a meal the same shape.
Cook this with your whole family
Dinejot plans breakfast, lunch and dinner as whole plates, built around the cooking you call home and filtered for the allergies at your table.
Meal suggestions support your goals. They are not medical advice. Please ask your doctor about your family's health needs.