I make this Greek Moussaka once or twice a year, always in the winter, served with different versions of a classic Greek salad. This meal reminds me of the first time I visited Greece and the amazing new flavours and classic dishes I was introduced to. It seems pretty easy to me since I’ve made it many, many times but as I often say; so many recipes, so little time.

When I feel bored with my dinner offerings I imagine the world map for inspiration. Greece reminds me of calamari, tadziki, souvlaki, baklava and this moussaka recipe.

I first visited Greece long before the internet was invented and before tadziki was on the shelf in every grocery store. While visiting I learned about traditional Greek dishes from a physical book, my Berlitz European Menu Reader. This tiny book was filled with essential dining vocabulary, culinary terms and as I recall, an overview of the typical dishes of each country. Our mission was to try as many of them as we could.

Moussaka was on that list.

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I remember that first moussaka. It was an open-air restaurant in Athens with live music and a view of the Parthenon in the distance.

Traditionally moussaka would be described as a layered meat dish with eggplant (called aubergines in Europe). The meat can be ground lamb or ground beef and the cooked mixture is layered between vegetable slices. Although eggplant is the most common some recipes call for zucchini or sliced potatoes.

The topping of moussaka is most commonly a thick béchamel sauce with added cheese and beaten eggs. As the moussaka bakes it creates a slightly firm, creamy topping. This starts with the same basic white sauce you would use to make homemade macaroni and cheese. Although you see many recipes for white sauce made with flour I have always made mine with cornstarch so it is naturally gluten free.

Variations for Greek Moussaka

For an easier version of moussaka you can avoid the layering process by chopping the vegetables before you sauté them. Simply fold them into the meat mixture and spread it all in the pan. With the creamy white sauce on top it will still look like traditional moussaka and have the same great taste.

There is also some variation among recipes for the topping. Although the white sauce with cheese is my personal favourite some recipes call for a mashed potato and cheese topping. The look of the finished dish is similar so if potatoes are popular in your house you might want to try that instead.

This recipe began from my little book of Greek Cookery, purchased on the island of Mykonos. Over time I have adjusted it a bit to the version I have posted here.

Let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed it. As they say in Greece, yamas!

Dinner Club – Greek Night

A Travel Tale – Mykonos

From time to time I write a guest post for my friend Sue over at Travel Tales of Life. Here’s the link to a post I wrote about our trip to Mykonos (and the nude beach story).

Greek Souvlaki – An Authentic Greek Food Recipe