Best Meatless Moussaka Recipes

VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
• Place the eggplant and zucchini slices in a colander and salt them liberally. Cover with an inverted plate weighted down by a heavy can or jar. Place the colander in the sink and let sit for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and boil them whole for about 10 minutes. They should not get too soft, just enough to be tender. Drain, cool, and cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside.
• Crack 4 eggs and separate the yolk, retaining them for the béchamel. Add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat them lightly with a fork or whisk. Spread the breadcrumbs on a flat plate.
• Rinse the eggplant and zucchini slices and blot excess moisture with paper towels. Set the zucchini aside with the potatoes.
• Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place breaded eggplant slices on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning them once during cooking.
• When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 F.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add mashed chickpeas to the pan with tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered so that excess liquid can be cooked out.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour to the melted butter, whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Let the flour cook for 1 minute but do not allow it to brown.
• Add warmed milk to the mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
• Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil. Remove from heat and stir in beaten egg yolks and a pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens, being careful not to let it scorch.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Lightly grease a 9x 13 x 3-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with breadcrumbs.
• Leaving a small space around the edges of the pan, cover the bottom with a layer of potatoes. Top with a layer of eggplant slices. Add the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant and sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Add zucchini slices next. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with grated cheese.
• Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow the sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a knife and sprinkle the remaining grated cheese.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

MEATLESS MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Ligthly grease a 1 1/2 cup straight-sided casserole or charlotte mold; set aside.
• Cut stems from eggplants and quarter each lengthwise.
• With a sharp knife cut pulp from skin leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell intact.
• Chop pulp, place in colander; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss. Let drain for about 30 minutes.
• Fill a Dutch oven about half full of water and heat to boiling.
• Drop in skins, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes; drain.
• When cool enough to handle, use a spoon to gently scrape remaining pulp from skins; discard, set skins aside.
• In a large skillet heat oil.
• Add mushrooms and onions; saute 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes and cinnamon; reduce heat to low.
• Squeeze eggplant pulp to remove moisture and add to skillet.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
• Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Pour in milk and stir constantly until mixture thickens; add nutmeg.
• Stir white sauce, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon salt into skillet with eggplant mixture until completely combined.
• Remove from heat; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line casserole with skins, arranging vertically (skin sides against the mold) along bottom and up sides; overlap edges slightly.
• Spoon eggplant mixture into center;fold any overhanging skins on top of filling.
• Put casserole in baking pan on oven rack. Fill baking pan with hot water.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove casserole from oven; let stand 10 minutes; spoon off any drippings.
• *Can be made ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours. To reheat, put 1 inch of water in a Dutch oven; heat to boiling.Uncover mold and set into water.Heat until water simmers. Cover pan; reduce heat and cook until eggplant is heated through, about 45 minutes.).
• Invert onto serving dish; cut into wedges to serve.

BEEF MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss the eggplants, potatoes, olive oil, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl, then spread the vegetables on the baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables about halfway through. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the Meat Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon, garlic and ginger; stir quickly to toast spices evenly. Once fragrant, add 1/2 cup water to the pan and stir to combine, scraping up any brown bits. Add the beef to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to break it up, and cook until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the meat is fully cooked and the juices are reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and set aside.
• Make the Bechamel: Put the milk and flour in a small saucepan and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a boil; continue to whisk until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat and whisk in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan; set aside.
• Assemble the Moussaka: Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the eggplants and potatoes in the bottom of the dish, layer the meat sauce evenly over the vegetables, top with the bechamel and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until the top is browned and slightly puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
• Make-Ahead Tip: The unbaked casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight before baking. The baked casserole can be frozen for up to 2 weeks; cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F until hot, 35 to 45 minutes.

VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat eggplant dry. Cook eggplant and zucchini in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving as much oil as possible in the skillet
• Adding more oil to skillet as needed and let it get hot. Cook potato slices in hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, again reserving oil in the skillet.
• Saute onion and garlic in reserved oil until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in vinegar, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced in volume and thick. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/2 the potatoes, 1/2 the onions, and 1/2 the feta into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
• Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Stir butter, flour, and milk together in a small saucepan; bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and nutmeg; stir. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.
• Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.

VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Char the eggplants over a gas burner, turning with tongs, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool, then slice 1/2 inch thick.
• Arrange the eggplant slices on two baking sheets. Brush with olive oil on both sides and season with salt. Roast until golden and cooked through, 20 to 22 minutes. Set aside.
• Combine 6 cups water and the lentils in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and let cool.
• Fill a large wide pot with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚ F or a piece of bread dropped in turns golden quickly. Working in batches, fry the potato slices a few at a time until golden but not too brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a rack to drain and season with salt.
• Make the lentil-tomato sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cooled lentils and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, the oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 3 grinds of pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Make the béchamel: Combine the cinnamon stick, milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the nutmeg and set aside.
• In another saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let it brown). Slowly whisk in the heavy cream mixture, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then temper them by whisking in 1 cup of the béchamel; whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining béchamel. Season with salt and pepper and add the feta.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Oil an extra-large baking dish or roasting pan. Layer half of the eggplant in the bottom of the pan, then pour half of the lentil-tomato sauce on top, spreading it in an even layer. Top with a layer of half of the potatoes and then spread with half of the béchamel. Repeat the layers (eggplant, lentil-tomato sauce, potatoes, béchamel).
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.) Let cool, then cut into pieces.

MEATLESS MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the eggplant and zucchini slices in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. Place the colander in the sink and cover with an inverted plate and top with a heavy can or jar to squeeze out moisture. Allow to sit at least 15-20 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and parboil in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. They shouldn't be soft, just tender. Drain, cool, and slice into 1/4" slices. Set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
• In a small bowl, add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat lightly with a fork or whisk. Spread breadcrumbs on a flat plate.
• Rinse the zucchini and eggplant slices and blot with paper towels. Set aside the zucchini with the potatoes.
• Dip the eggplant in the eggs, then dredge in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place the eggplant on the baking sheet and bake 1/2 hour, turning once during cooking.
• Start the tomato sauce by heating the olive oil in the large sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the mashed chickpeas to the pan with tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper.
• Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered so excess liquid can evaporatet.
• Lightly grease the 9"x13" baking pan and start assembling the Moussaka.
• Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with breadcrumbs, leaving a small space around the edge of the pan. Cover with a layer of potatoes and top with a layer of eggplant slices.
• Add the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Next, add the zucchini slices.
• Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
• To make the bechamel sauce, melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Add the flour to the melted butter, whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute, but do not allow it to brown.
• Add warmed milk to the mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
• Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit, but does not boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in the beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg.
• Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens, taking care not to scorch it.
• Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and allow the sauce to fill the edges of the pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is golden brown.
• Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.