Greek Pork Moussaka

 

I catered a Greek themed dinner last year and had to include Moussaka, a traditional Greek casserole, similar to lasagna. I did not want it to be the main entree, so I made it into an appetizer using mini muffin pans from Demarle At Home.  The individual sized Moussaka came out beautifully.  Literally, they came out of the pan beautifully.  This is a traditional, labor intensive recipe that I am working on to make easier.   

Ingredients

• 3  yellow potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
•  salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Meat Sauce:

• 1 onion, finely  chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

Bechamel:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups milk, heated to very warm in microwave
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, divided by 4thsoil

Directions

For the vegetables: 

1. In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and heat on medium.  Add potatoes, 1/2 cup of water and cover.  Steam them for 5 minutes. Set aside
2. Meanwhile, slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices, brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with  salt and the pepper on both sides. Saute in skillet for 2 minutes on each side.  Set aside
3. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Set aside.

For the meat sauce:

1. In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil and add onions.  saute about 5 minutes until golden brown.  
2. Add the ground pork and cook through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and garlic, and cook until fragrant. 
4. Turn the heat up to high, add the wine.  
5. Bring to boil then reduce to low, reducing the mixture 1-2 minutes. 
6. Add tomatoes sauce and heat through.  Set aside.

 

For the bechamel: 

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour, whisking to make a paste. 
2. Whisk  for 2 minutes, allowing the mixture to bubble. 
3. Add the warm milk slowly, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. 
4. Once the sauce starts to come to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes, whisking  frequently. Add some salt, pepper and nutmeg, and set aside.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

1. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil. Press potatoes on to the bottom of the pan.   
2. Sprinkle with some Parmesan. 
3. Place the eggplant on top of the potatoes. 
4. Sprinkle with more 
5. Parmesan. Add 1/2 of the bechamel sauce
6. Spoon the meat sauce on top, followed by more  Parmesan. 
7. Finish with pouring the remaining bechamel and top with the last  of Parmesan and a sprinkle of nutmeg..
8. Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil, then 10 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and bubbly on top. 

Individual moussaka cooked in a Demarle Flexipan Muffin Tray