Moussaka Recipe For the Gentlewomen of No Fond Return of Love and A Few Green Leaves!

Moussaka; Sort of a Greek Lasagna!



1 egg plant
1 large red pepper, or squash, green pepper, etc as desired
3 medium Idaho potatoes; other work, too, but you may need more of them
1 lb lean ground beef [85%] is good, or crumbled boca burger, ground chicken, lamb, or turkey
Chopped onion or scallions, even garlic, to taste and as desired
salt
pepper
parsley
Oregano, basil, rosemary, fresh or dried
cooking spray or olive oil
1 can tomato soup, about 8 oz, or tomato sauce, V8, or crushed tomatoes

Cheese for melting, shredded, Romano grated, mdzithra grated, etc.
flour
butter, about 1/c melted
about 3/4 c milk
3 beaten eggs
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Spray bottom of a large glass cooking pan, or other pan, or wipe with olive oil. Preheat oven to $375-400 degrees.  In other countries, check centigrade or metric system conversions.

Brown meat in pan with about 1 TBSP olive oil and onion.  If you use boca burger, just heat it lightly, maybe with melted butter.  Add tomato soup with 1/4 can water, or the sauces.  Stir, and you can add the spices now, too. Fresh mint is also good to add.

Take baking or cooking pan, and layer sliced potatoes and peppers on the bottom.  Alternate with sliced eggplant.  You can cut the eggplant earlier, sprinkle with salt, and wrap with paper towels to dry it out, but we've never done that at home.  Just slice it thin.

When meat is done, drain if necessary.  Spoon a layer over potatoes, peppers, and egg plants.  Add spices and about 1 TBSP salt and pepper.  You can add more later when it is cooked to taste.

Top meet with another layer of the vegetables and potatoes, and keep going till you are done with them and the meat.

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Meanwhile, make a rue, with flower, and melted butter.  Take off the heat to whisk or stir it.  Slowly add the milk, and dashes of salt and pepper.  Stir smooth.  You may have to vary the amount of milk.  Then, whisk in the eggs.  This makes the crema or bechamel sauce.

Pour over the meat and vegetable mixture.

Sprinkle with cheeses.  Bake for about 55 mins.  Then, add slices of munster, cheddar, American, or provolone on top, bake five more minutes.  Make sure the juices are drunk up, or "dry."  Moussaka freezes well, and may be kept in the fridge and reheated, about 4 days.

If unsure of something, check basic recipes for behcamel sauce and moussaka in The American Women's Cook book, any Greek cook book, or recipes on the web.