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.

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

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

- 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

- 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.


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


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



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



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.



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.


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


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



Remove cloves from béchamel and bay leaf from mince mixture.

Moussaka Assembly
Assemble the mousakka by layering mince, potato and aubergine.



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


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:
- My Ultimate Lasagne
- One Pan Broccoli and Italian Sausage Orzo
- Chicken Tikka Chasni
- Beef Tagine
- Classic Chilli Con Carne
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.

Mousakka
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





Deborah Bullivant says
This is a family favourite- thanks Lauren!
Lauren says
Thanks so much 🥰
Kirstin says
Absolutely delicious recipe, it’s my mums 70th this week and she’s requested I make it for her for her birthday meal as she loves it so much. Thanks!
Ps. Can I ask a tip, would I be able to make it up the day before and assemble in a dish and keep in the fridge overnight then bake in the oven the next day?
Lauren says
hi, apologies if this is a late reply but you absolutely could!
Chloe Owen says
Made this as a gluten free (switched the flour)/vegetarian (just used veg) option for girls Christmas night and it went down a storm! Leftovers are in the freezer.
Emma says
We have made this a few times and it always goes down well with the whole family.so easy to make and great for having leftovers for lunch the next day. It was a great meal when we started weaning our little ones