Ground Beef Eggplant Potato Moussaka
Ground beef eggplant and potato moussaka is an excellent weeknight casserole. This classic Balkan comfort dish is made even more tender with the addition of eggplant, mozzarella, and a super creamy topping that sets beautifully. Shall we?
- 1 eggplant (medium, or 2 small)
- 3 potatoes (medium, or 4-5 small)
- ½ pound ground beef (or a little more)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 3 ounces mozzarella
- 3 eggs
- 8 ounces sour cream (or a little more)
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 teaspoons oil, plus a little more (vegetable or olive)
- Prepare the eggplant. Wash eggplant, remove the stem, and peel if desired. Slice into thin rounds. Salt generously. Let sit for 20–25 minutes to release excess liquid.
- Prep veggies. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Peel potatoes and slice into rounds the thinness of eggplant rounds.
- Par-boil potatoes. Bring 1–2 quarts of water to a boil. Add potato rounds and par-boil for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender. Remove, rinse in cold water, and pat dry.
- Dry and brown the eggplant. Heat oven to 450 °F (230 °C). Place eggplant rounds on paper towel and press to expel more juices. Put a skillet over high heat until the pan is extremely hot. After a minute add oil. Lower to medium, add eggplant rounds and brown (about 5 min each side). Remove rounds and place on paper towel to soak up the extra oil.
- Brown onion and meat. Add a little more oil to skillet, wait a minute, and then add onion and garlic. Once these crystalize, add ground beef, 1 teaspoon (7 grams) paprika, salt and pepper, and mix well. Cook for additional 3-5 minutes. (Meat should still be somewhat pink.) Strain.
- Prepare the topping. Mix eggs and sour cream until smooth. Lightly grease your baking dish on all sides.
- Assemble moussaka. Start layering in this order: potatoes, ground beef, eggplant, cheese. (Make sure to end with potatoes on top if you can.) Pour the topping over everything. Sprinkle with remaining paprika and parsley. Place in the oven on medium rack.
- Bake. Bring the oven temperature to 375 °F (190 °C), and bake for 45-50 minutes, turning the baking pan once every 15 minutes. If the top starts to blush too much, or too soon, cover with foil and add a few minutes to the total baking time.
- Serve warm after resting 15–20 minutes.Reheat gently in oven or microwave until warmed through.Store in the fridge in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Background
Moussaka has many different faces across the Balkans, Greece and Mediterranean. Each version reflects the ingredients most commonly found in the area.
Practical, filling and unapologetically comforting, our eggplant ground beef moussaka offers a softer, richer alternative to the classic potato one. Eggplant moussaka - enriched with meat and mozzarella - is the kind of dish that shows up on Sunday tables, reheats beautifully, and somehow keeps amazing taste.
Why You'll Love This Eggplant Ground Beef Moussaka
- Balanced & Hearty. Ground beef, potatoes, eggs, cheese, and sour cream... all of these add richness to this dish, without making it heavy.
- Everyday Ingredients. Nothing fancy or hard to find. You can whip this one up with most of the ingredients you have in the fridge.
- Proper Home Meal. Eggplant ground beef moussaka is the kind of casserole that brings everyone to the table, and fills the home with the good aroma.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make ground beef eggplant moussaka:
- Eggplant. One large, or two small. Any type works.
- Potatoes. Just a couple of russets or Yukon do the trick. Avoid fingerling, or young potatoes.
- Ground beef. Beef with some fat will add flavor. Substitute with ground pork. Avoid poultry as it's drier.
- Onion. Yellow or white. Avoid red.
- Aromatics & Seasonings. Garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, parsley.
- Cheese. Mozzarella, for that special richness, but you can skip if you'd like.
- Eggs.
- Sour cream. No substitutes.
Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions for preparing ground beef eggplant potato moussaka: Step 1.
Prepare the eggplant. Step 2.
Par-boil potatoes. Step 3.
Dry and brown the eggplant. Step 4.
Brown onion and meat. Step 5. Prepare the topping.
Step 6. Assemble moussaka: potatoes, ground beef, eggplant, cheese, etc. Step 7.
Add the topping. Step 8. Bake.
Variations
There are several variations of this dish including:
- 1. Classic moussaka with ground beef and potatoes only; as well as
- 2. Vegetarian moussaka with eggplant, potatoes and zucchini.
Handling
Serve eggplant ground beef moussaka warm to hot (rest 15–30 minutes). Pair with shopska salad, or a pan bread tepsijaš for a truly Balkan-inspired meal.
Reheat individual portions in the oven (5-10 minutes), or microwave (gently in short intervals) until warmed through. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.