MOUSSAKA (MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL)

Steps:

• MEAT SAUCE - In hot butter in a 3-1/2 quart Dutch oven, sauté onion, lamb or chuck, and garlic, stirring until brown - about 10 minutes. Add herbs, spices, and tomato sauce; bring to boiling, stirring. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1/2 hour.
• Have unpared eggplant lengthwise; slice crosswise, 1/2-inch thick. Place in bottom of broiler pan; sprinkle light with salt; brush lightly with melted butter. Broil, 4-inches from heat, 4 minutes per side, or until golden.
• MAKE CREAM SAUCE - In medium saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk gradually. Bring to boiling; stirring until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat.
• In small bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk. Beat in some hot cream sauce mixture; return mixture to saucepan; mix well; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• TO ASSEMBLE - In bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish (12 x 7-1/2 x 2-inches), layer half of eggplant, overlapping slightly; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons each grated Parmesan and Cheddar cheese. Stir bread crumbs into meat sauce; spoon evenly over eggplant in casserole; then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons each Parmesan and Cheddar cheese. Layer remaining eggplant slices, overlapping, as before. Pour cream sauce over all. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and top is set. If desired, brown top a little more until broiler - about 1 minutes. Cool slightly to serve. Cut in squares.