Name: Mousakka
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 155 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 onion (finely chopped); 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped); 500 g lamb mince; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tsp oregano; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp cardamom; ¼ tsp nutmeg; 1 lamb stock cube; 200 ml water; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1 bay leaf; 400 g passata; handful parsley (finely chopped); 2 aubergine (sliced in 1cm slices); 2 medium potatoes (peeled and sliced thinly); 100 g salted butter; 6 whole cloves; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 90 g plain flour; 850 ml whole milk

This Moussaka is a dish worth the time investment for being family-friendly, full of flavour and an excellent batch cook option to fill your freezer. Every mouthful is an explosion of layered flavour; spiced lamb ragu, warming béchamel, thick, softened aubergine (eggplant) and the humble potato.

A slice of moussaka topped with béchamel sits on a white plate. Its accompanied by a fresh salad with leafy greens and cherry tomatoes. The lasagna appears rich and hearty, surrounded by a glossy sauce.

This dish is a labour of love, I won't lie to you. But I can pretty much guarantee that your kids with love it, or you'll be thanking me for a nutritious and tasty prep meal that freezes well!

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Ingredients For Moussaka
Bechamel Ingredients
How To Make Moussaka (Method)
Storage and Reheating
Other Batch Cook Meal Options
Mousakka

Moussaka is basically a whole meal in one dish - carbs, protein and plenty veg. Served with a hearty side salad and you're sorted!

A freshly baked lasagna in a rectangular dish, with a golden-brown, slightly crispy top layer of melted cheese, showing some bubbling and dark browned spots. The dish is set on a wooden surface.

Ingredients For Moussaka

There are 3 stages to Moussaka:

Lamb Mince Ragu

Prepare Vegetables: Aubergine (Eggplant) and Potatoes

Bechamel Sauce

Lamb Mince Ragu with Vegetables Ingredients

A collection of ingredients on a wooden surface, including ground beef, two potatoes, two eggplants, chopped onions, a bottle of passata, tomato paste, olive oil, spices on a plate, and two bouillon cubes.

Lamb Mince: beef mince can also be used, although lamb mince is the traditional choice for Moussaka
Vegetables: Onion, Aubergine (Eggplant) and Potatoes
Aromatics and Spices: garlic cloves, bay leaf, salt, sugar, oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg
Lamb Stock
Red Wine Vinegar
Passata and Tomato Paste: I love using the Mutti brand

Bechamel Ingredients

A bottle of fresh milk labeled Park Farm Dairy is on a wooden surface, surrounded by ingredient bowls: a pat of butter, a bowl of flour, and a small dish with ground nutmeg and whole cloves.

Whole Milk
Salted Butter
Plain Flour (All Purpose)
Optional Aromatics: Nutmeg and Cloves

How To Make Moussaka (Method)

Lamb Mince Ragu Preparation

Chop onion - cook in oil until softened, add garlic & fry for 2 minutes.

A wooden cutting board with a whole onion, a halved onion, a peeled onion, a sliced onion, and a pile of finely chopped onion pieces arranged in a row. — onions

Close-up of finely chopped onions being sautéed on a black pan. The onions are slightly translucent, indicating they are cooking. — onions

Prepare all spices & add the following to a measuring jug: stock cube in boiling water, red wine vinegar, tomato puree.

A white plate on a wooden surface holds various spices and herbs, including a bay leaf, sugar, salt, and other powdered spices in small piles, showcasing a colorful assortment of seasonings.

A glass measuring cup containing a small amount of reddish liquid, placed on a light wooden surface. The liquid appears to be at the base of the cup, with measurement markings visible on the side.

Add lamb mince, all spices and salt to pan & cook until browned.

A pot on a stovetop contains raw ground beef placed over diced onions. The ingredients are evenly spread and starting to cook. There are two handles on the pot, and part of a red jar is visible on the right side of the image.

Ground beef and onions cooking in a pot on a stovetop, seasoned with various spices including paprika and herbs. The stove surface is black and reflects the pot, which has silver handles.

Once browned, add in the bay leaf, measuring jug of ingredients & pasatta – simmer on medium heat for approx. 75mins, stirring occasionally.

A person pours tomato sauce from a measuring cup into a pot with cooked ground meat and a bay leaf. The pot is on an electric stove with a black and silver handle.

A pot on a stove contains minced meat cooking in a red tomato sauce. A bay leaf is placed on top of the mixture. The handles of the pot are visible on either side. The countertop is partially visible beside the stove.

Vegetable Preparation

Cut aubergine into 1cm thick slices then fry in oil on both sides until golden brown. I remove some of the outer skin to reduce the bitterness.

Two halved eggplants and three round slices are on a wooden cutting board. The eggplants have dark purple skin, and the slices reveal a pale interior. They are placed on a light speckled countertop.

Two eggplants with alternating green and purple stripes sit on a wooden cutting board placed on a light-colored countertop.

Peel and slice potatoes thinly (I use a mandolin), but you can use a knife to slice as thinly as possible. Keep immersed in water until using.

A hand holding a pile of thinly sliced potatoes over a mandoline slicer on a wooden cutting board. The background shows a speckled countertop.

Sliced potatoes soaking in water inside a clear rectangular container on a wooden cutting board. A black and white kitchen tool is partially visible in the top right corner.

Bechamel Preparation

Make béchamel by melting butter in a pot with the cloves, then add flour.

A non-stick frying pan with a small piece of melting butter, spreading across the surface, creating a shiny, uneven texture. The pan is on a stovetop, with slight reflections visible on its surface.

A frying pan on a stove containing melted butter and a pile of flour being mixed together. The mixture is in the early stages of cooking, with some flour beginning to absorb the butter.

Gradually add the milk & whisk until the sauce has thickened.

Close-up view of a black surface partially covered with a light brown, creamy substance. The texture appears smooth and somewhat swirled, suggesting a mixture or dough spread across the surface.

A measuring cup of milk is being poured into a skillet with a roux, a mixture of butter and flour, as a whisk rests on the pan, ready to stir. The skillet is on a stove, showing the start of a creamy sauce preparation.

Remove cloves from béchamel and bay leaf from mince mixture.

A hand holds a small brown bowl containing a bay leaf and cloves above a pot of light-colored sauce. A whisk is resting inside the pot.

Moussaka Assembly

Assemble the mousakka by layering mince, potato and aubergine.

A white rectangular baking dish filled with a layer of rich, red meat sauce, possibly ground beef mixed with tomato sauce. The baking dish rests on a wooden surface.

A rectangular baking dish filled with raw, thinly sliced potato rounds layered evenly. The potatoes have a glossy sheen, suggesting they have been coated or seasoned. The dish is bordered with a blue rim.

Then finally pouring the béchamel on top and baking in a preheated oven for 75 mins at 180 degrees.

A close-up of a creamy, smooth batter spread evenly in a rectangular baking dish. The batter has a glossy texture with slight air bubbles and subtle folds.

Storage and Reheating

Moussaka is freezable once cooked.

Portion it up (approx. 8-10 portions) once cooked and cooled, then freeze.

It can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days (less than 4C) or in the freezer for up to 4 months, and reheated straight from frozen.

Reheat in the microwave until piping hot throughout too.

Other Batch Cook Meal Options

If you like my Moussaka, then you'll also love:

All of the recipes above can be made in advance, frozen, reheated and enjoyed! Please leave a review below if you've made it and love it.

A plate with eggplant lasagna topped with melted cheese, served alongside a fresh salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. The dish is placed on a white plate.

Mousakka

Lauren

Mousakka is another great family-friendly meal that also stores great in the freezer so is a staple batch cook option in my house! Takes a bit of time, but it’s worth it for the flavour!!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 15

Oven Bake 1 15

Total Time 2 35

Course Dinner

Cuisine Greek

Servings

Calories 477 kcal

Ingredients

Mince

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
500 g lamb mince
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 lamb stock cube
200 ml water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 bay leaf
400 g passata
handful parsley finely chopped
2 aubergine sliced in 1cm slices
2 medium potatoes peeled and sliced thinly

White Sauce

100 g salted butter
6 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
90 g plain flour
850 ml whole milk

Instructions

Finely chop 1 onion - cook in 2 tablespoon vegetable oil until softened, add 2 garlic cloves & fry for 2 mins
Prepare all spices (1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)
Add the following to a measuring jug: 1 lamb stock cube in 200 ml water (boiling), 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon tomato purée
Add 500 g lamb mince, all spices and 1 teaspoon salt to pan & cook until browned
Once browned, add in the 1 bay leaf, measuring jug of ingredients & 400 g passata – simmer on medium heat for approx. 75mins, stirring occasionally
Cut 2 aubergine into 1cm thick slices then fry in oil on both sides
Peel and slice 2 medium potatoes thinly (I use a mandolin)
Make bechamel by melting 100 g salted butter in a pot with 6 whole cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and then add 90 g plain flour - whisk together for a minute or so
Then gradually add 850 ml whole milk & whisk until the sauce has thickened
Remove cloves from béchamel and bay leaf from mince mixture before assembly and stir through handful parsley into mince for freshness
Assemble the mousakka by layering mince, aubergine & potato then bechamel
Cook in preheated oven for 75 mins at 180 degrees

Video

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Notes

See Step by Step Process above for full details

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 19gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 494mgPotassium: 1083mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 879IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 4mg

Keyword authentic mousakka, Batch Cooking, Family Friendly Meals, greek mousakka recipe

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Ingredients For Moussaka

Lamb Mince Ragu with Vegetables Ingredients

Bechamel Ingredients