Creamy Mediterranean Moussaka

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
• 3 large eggplants or 5 japanese eggplants
• 1/2 cup oil (olive, sunflower, vegetable)
• 2 tablespoons oil (olive preferably)
• 1 large onion, minced (or pulverize in the food processor)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (i put them in the food processor with the onions)
• 2 lbs ground beef (you can do half beef, half lamb too)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (from a jar is fine)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup cheese, grated (mozzarella, cheddar, swiss)

Recipe

• 1 peel and boil the potatoes.
• 2 cut eggplant up into 1/4 inch slices, salt, place into strainer and weigh down for 15 minutes. (i don't actually strain them, but most people do).
• 3 meat layer: saute onion and garlic in 2 tbsp of oil (i prefer olive). add ground meat, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. brown meat while breaking up the clumps. set aside.
• 4 drizzle just enough (olive) oil to cover the bottom of a hot pan. place eggplant slices in pan. brown both sides of all the eggplant slices. they're thirsty little guys so you'll have add oil to pan as you go.
• 5 cut boiled potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
• 6 cream sauce: in a sauce pan, on low heat, melt butter. then add flour, stir until it has the consistency of cookie dough, don't let it brown.
• 7 add milk, a bit at a time. (if you do it all at once you'll have clumps). you want a thick cream soup consistency.
• 8 add cheese, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cumin and salt. stir until smooth and blended. set aside.
• 9 spread some cream sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. layer eggplant, meat, sauce, potaotes, meat, sauce, eggplant, sauce and grated cheese.
• 10 bake 30 min at 450. i like to cover it with tin foil for the first 20 min and then take it off for the last ten so the cheese can get a bit brown.
• 11 even more delightful after freezing and reheating.
• 12 note: i add spices to taste. 1/4 tsp is a conservative start, go wild! freshly grated spices give an added zing. i also add onion and garlic power when on hand. also i use 3 parts veg oil and 1 part olive oil to get the taste but ease the cost.