Greek Moussaka

This gluten free Greek Moussaka is a layered dish like lasagna only easier. The cheesy topping starts with a basic white sauce thickened with cornstarch. Simply replacing the breadcrumbs with my gluten free ones was the only adjustment I had to make to this classic moussaka, a recipe with its' roots on a tiny island in Greece.

this gluten free recipe

I like to make moussaka in the winter (so many recipes, so little time). I serve it with any version of my classic Greek salad including the addition of lettuce sometimes. The salad is a year round favourite and I make it by counting the six ingredients with my hand instead of looking at the recipe.

If I was entertaining I'd add some version of calamari and a nice thick tadziki to start the meal. Check out my Dinner Club menu for Greek Night if you're ready to go all in.

🐄 Ingredients

My version of the tomato based meat sauce has a hint of cinnamon common in many Mediterranean sauces. I think it's mandatory. The final topping is a firm, thick white sauce layer. Extra egg yolks help create that firm topping I want and the cheese adds the richness I want.

• zucchini and eggplant
• onion and garlic
• ground beef
• canned tomatoes
• tomato paste
• oregano
• cinnamon
• allspice
• egg
• gluten free breadcrumbs (see tip below)
• parsley, fresh or dried
• butter
• cornstarch
• milk
• cottage cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• feta cheese

See recipe card for exact amounts.

🍞 Substitutions

Gluten free breadcrumbs - Oatmeal is the Scottish substitute for breadcrumbs that my mom always used in her meatloaf. Whole rolled oats or quick oats both work well.

🍆 Variations

Beef - Ground lamb is also common in traditional moussaka recipes.

Eggplant - Many versions of moussaka use zucchini or potato slices instead of eggplant. You can also use a combination of all three.

Wine - Some moussaka recipes use red wine in the meat sauce. This recipe started from a tiny cookbook I bought in Greece and it didn't use wine. You can certainly drink the red wine while you cook, like I do, or add some to the sauce.

Feta - I don't list the feta cheese as optional but many versions don't use it.

Easy Moussaka - Rather than layering the vegetables and meat you can mix it all together. Simply chop the vegetables, sauté them and fold into the meat mixture. The taste is always the same.

Storage

Yes, moussaka can be frozen. I enjoy it when I make it the portion the remainder into the size of meals I want and freeze it.

I first had moussaka on a trip to Greece in 1982 and the rest is history. If you like travel tales check out this post I wrote for my friends travel blog. She called it Greek Souvlaki - An Authentic Greek Food Recipe, don't miss the nude beach story.

As they say in Greece, yamas!

Greek Moussaka

Similar to lasagna only easier, moussaka is layers of vegetables and a tomato based meat sauce. A hint of cinnamon is essential and reminiscent of the classic Mediterranean dish.

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Course: Main Course, Meat

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: gluten free moussaka

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

VEGETABLES LAYERS

• ▢ 1-2 zucchini slices, ⅓-inch thick*
• ▢ 1 eggplant slices, ⅓-inch thick* or 2 long, slender eggplants
• ▢ oil for frying

MEAT SAUCE

• ▢ 2 teaspoon cooking oil
• ▢ 1 large onion, chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1½ lbs ground beef
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes (19 oz/560 ml)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ▢ 1 egg , beaten
• ▢ 2 tablespoon gluten free breadcrumbs** dry or toasted
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)

WHITE SAUCE MIXTURE

• ▢ ¼ cup butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cornstarch increase to 3 tablespoon if it isn't thickening
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 2 cups milk (2% or higher)
• ▢ 8 oz cottage cheese (250 ml)
• ▢ ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ▢ 2 eggs beaten

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Instructions

VEGETABLE LAYERS

• Heat oil in large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Fry zucchini and eggplant slices in batches until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.

MEAT SAUCE

• Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add beef and cook the mixture, stirring to break up any lumps, until no longer pink.
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Stir in egg, breadcrumbs and parsley. Set aside to cool. Can be prepared 2-3 days in advance or frozen.

WHITE SAUCE LAYER

• In saucepan melt butter. Add cornstarch, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
• When slightly thickened add half the milk and stir over medium heat until sauce thickens. Add the remaining milk and stir occasionally until thickened. Don't over stir.
• Remove from heat. Add cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, feta and eggs. Stir until evenly combined. Set aside for assembly.

ASSEMBLY: Layer into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan in this order

• half the vegetable slices

  half the meat mixture

  remaining vegetable slices

  remaining meat mixture

  white sauce mixture
• Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until the top is set and nicely browned. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

*Use any combination of sliced and sautéed zucchini, eggplant or potato.

**I keep a container in the freezer for extra buns or slice of bread that didn't get used. When I need breadcrumbs I grind them in a food processor and use them as soft breadcrumbs. Cook crumbs on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes when you need toasted crumbs.

Cooked Moussaka can be cooled and frozen. Thaw overnight and reheat in 350°F oven for 30 minutes or in the microwave.

Check out my whole menu for a Dinner Club evening: Greek Night!