Moussaka

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 lbs eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 2 lbs ground lamb or 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced (more if you like)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash black pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ground cinnamon

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• 2 brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil; place in a large skillet over medium heat and brown on both sides.
• 3 drain; set aside.
• 4 in the same skillet, cook ground meat, half at a time, until browned.
• 5 cook onion and garlic with the second batch of meat; drain off fat.
• 6 return meat mixture to skillet and add the tomato sauce, wine, parsley, the 3/4t.
• 7 salt, oregano, and the 1/4t.
• 8 cinnamon.
• 9 bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
• 10 cool mixture slightly and stir about 1/2c.
• 11 of the meat into the 1 beaten egg; stir meat and egg mixture back into remaining meat mixture in the skillet.
• 12 next, melt the butter in a medium saucepan; stir in the flour, salt and pepper.
• 13 add milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
• 14 cook for 1 minute more.
• 15 in a medium bowl, beat the 3 eggs; gradually stir the thickened milk mixture into the eggs.
• 16 in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish arrange half of the eggplant slices.
• 17 spread the meat mixture over the eggplant slices and top with the remaining eggplant slices.
• 18 pour the hot egg/milk mixture over all; top with parmesan cheese and sprinkle with additional cinnamon, to taste.
• 19 bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are bubbly.
• 20 let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• 21 cut into squares.