TRADITIONAL MOUSSAKA (BEEF, POTATO, AND EGGPLANT GREEK ‘LASAGNA’)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Cut the root ends off the eggplant.  Peel most of the skin off the eggplant, leaving ½” thick stripes of skin, every 2” around the fruit.  Cut the eggplant lengthwise into ½” thick slabs.  Place them on the baking sheet and drizzle both sides of each piece generously with the olive oil.  Season with liberally with the salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is very tender and lightly browned.  Set aside.

Place 1 ½” of the vegetable oil in a large deep skillet to 360-365 degrees.  Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet covered with foil.

Cut the potatoes into ½” thick slices and fry them in the hot oil in batches for 4-5 minutes, turning with tongs halfway through, until they are lightly browned and very tender when pierced with a fork.  Place them on the cooling rack and season immediately with salt.  Set aside.

To make the Bolognese ragu, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes until they are soft and fragrant.  Add the ground beef and continue cooking, breaking the meat up with a spatula until it is in small pieces and mostly cooked through.

While the meat is cooking add the salt, pepper, Ciao Bella Italian spice blend, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and thyme bundle to the pan, stirring frequently to combine.  Add the wine to the pan and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Add the tomato paste to the pan.  Stir until well incorporated.  Add the spaghetti sauce and stir to combine.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef mixture is moist but not wet. When you pull the meat aside in the pan, you will be able to see the bottom of the pan with no moisture seeping in.  Remove from heat and set aside to rest and let the flavors mingle while you make the béchamel.  Discard the thyme bundle.

To make the béchamel, melt the butter in another large deep skillet.  Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to make a paste and cook off the raw flour flavor.  Gradually add the milk, whisking until a smooth thick sauce forms that coats the back of a spoon.   Add the salt, nutmeg, and parmesan to the pan whisking vigorously to combine.

Turn off the heat and add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking vigorously to keep them from cooking.  Continue to whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until the eggs are well incorporated into the smooth thick sauce (this is a great arm workout!).  Remove from heat and whisk in the shredded cheeses until fully melted and smooth.

To assemble the moussaka, lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9” x 13” baking dish with olive oil.  Place the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping in an even layer.  Sprinkle ¼ cup of the grated parmesan over the potatoes.

Spread the Bolognese ragu in an even layer over the potatoes, pressing it down lightly into a flat layer with an offset or rubber spatula.  Sprinkle another ¼ cup of the cheese over the ragu.

Place the eggplant on top of the ragu slightly overlapping to create an even layer of eggplant.  Top with another ¼ cup of the parmesan.

Pour the béchamel over the top of the eggplant and spread it evenly with an offset or rubber spatula.  Note – the casserole will be very full.  Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of parmesan and the ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg over the top.  Place the casserole on a foil lined baking sheet so if there is any spillage, you don’t mess up your oven!

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the béchamel on top is golden brown.  Cover with foil and let rest for 30-40 minutes to set before cutting.  This will ensure your béchamel is dreamy and creamy.  Cut into squares and serve with Greek salad.