Easy Lamb Moussaka

Name: Easy Lamb Moussaka
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 4 potatoes; 3 tbsp olive oil (, plus extra for brushing); 1 red onion (, finely chopped); 500 g ground lamb; 2 cloves garlic (, crushed); 1 tsp dried basil; 500 g passata (, carton); 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 3 eggplants (, cut into slices); 1 cup cheddar cheese (, grated)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Lamb Moussaka (Mousaka) is a quick, easy classic Greek eggplant casserole made with eggplants (aubergines), potatoes and a spiced ground lamb and topped with melted cheese.

Check also my Moussaka (Musaka) Greek Recipe.

This recipe is one of the best lamb moussaka versions you will ever get to make and taste because it is made easier, but with just the same flavorful aspects that made the dish well known not just in the Mediterranean from where it originated but also along other foreign countries.

The dried basil added to the recipe also made it taste even better. This dish, overall, is deliciously meaty, saucy, and cheesy with a hint of creamy spiced-up taste.

Jump to:

Traditional Greek Moussaka Recipe
Why Does This Recipe Work
Ingredients
How to Make Lamb Moussaka?
Baking or frying the eggplants and potatoes?
Top Tips!
Recipe Variations
How To Serve Lamb Moussaka
Storage
Recipe FAQs
Recipes you may like
Recipe
Comments

Traditional Greek Moussaka Recipe

Traditional lamb moussaka is a tedious recipe to make. It is more intricate than anyone can expect, and it requires quite a lot of time and effort to perfectly serve anyone.

Indeed, it is not considered a quick and easy meal idea you can have for a weeknight dinner. However, this Lamb Moussaka is filled with nice tricks and cheats that enable us to make moussaka far simpler and easier than expected without lessening the quality of taste.

Consider this version of the recipe as a kitchen hack that you can pull off without any problem at all.

This recipe is the closest you can ever get to having an excellent Mediterranean dish at home without having to stress over its process of cooking. Enjoy a comforting and filling meal when you get to serve this dish for lunch or dinner.

You can even include it in the menu for a special occasion so that you can share your superb cooking skills with others. Make the most out of this dish!

Why Does This Recipe Work

Lamb Moussaka is a must-try recipe that you should add to your list of dishes you need to make in the comfort of your kitchen. Fill your home with the appetizing aroma of this popular greek dish because of the following reasons:

This dish is packed with all the delicious flavors! Potatoes, eggplant, ground lamb, and cheese in one dish? That can only mean one thing: excellent delicious food to enjoy.
It is a freezer-friendly recipe. Don't worry about your leftovers because you can easily just freeze and reheat them when you want to get another serving the next day or so.
This dish requires no other side dish. It is already a complete meal by itself. One serving can already make you full and satisfied.
Filled with veggies that children will get to enjoy! We all know how hard it can be to make kids eat veggies, but with this recipe, the veggies are so much more appetizing that kids will surely give it a go.
It feels like lamb recipes can be quite scarce sometimes. This dish can be added to your lamb recipes; you can try it any time you would like to.
This lighter moussaka uses less oil because we grill the eggplants instead of frying them.

Ingredients

Potatoes. Potatoes give this dish a mild sweetness, and it also helps texturize the dish into a tender-like creaminess that makes the recipe even more luscious.

Olive Oil. Use olive oil for this recipe because it has a high smoke point, and will not add any unwanted taste to the dish while cooking.

Onion. It gives off an umami taste that enhances all other flavors in the recipe.

Ground lamb. The base ingredient! ground lamb is a meaty addition to the dish that we should not skip lest we make this recipe incomplete.

Garlic. An aromatic that gives this dish a desirable scent, garlic is a must-added ingredient. It also serves as a flavoring agent.

Mixed Spice. A moussaka seems incomplete without its subtle spice. Add mixed spice to this recipe so that it will have a warm and somewhat sweet and spicy flavor.

Passata. It will deliver that delicious bright and refined tomato flavor to this recipe, giving a more veggie vibe to the dish and a deep and rich saucy texture.

Eggplants (Aubergines). Eggplants help in making this dish taste tender, mild, and sweet. It pairs well with potatoes creating a tender texture for the recipe.

Cheddar Cheese. Meaty, saucy, full of veggies… and cheesy! Cheddar cheese is the perfect finishing touch for this recipe. It complements all flavor in the dish, and perfection is the only outcome.

Salt and Pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How to Make Lamb Moussaka?

How to bake the eggplants and potatoes for Moussaka recipe.

Cook the potatoes: In a large saucepan, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 20-25 minutes until soft, drain and allow to cool, then cut them into thick slices.

Bake the eggplants: Heat oven to 220C. Brush the eggplants with the rest of the oil and arrange them on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

How to cook the meat for Moussaka by photos.

How to make Moussaka meat sauce with photos.

Cook the ground lamb: In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat, then add the onion, stir with a wooden spoon and cook until softened, add the ground lamb, and cook for 5-7 mins or until cooked through.

Now, add the garlic and mixed spices, salt and black pepper and stir in the passata. Bring to a simmer, and take off the heat.

How to assemble the Lamb Moussaka casserole by photos.

Assemble the Greek Moussaka: Grease a baking pan with oil, add a layer of potatoes, then a layer of eggplant slices, and then a layer of the meat mixture. Repeat.
Scatter the cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes or until the top is golden.

Baking or frying the eggplants and potatoes?

Traditionally, the eggplants and potatoes used in making Moussaka are usually fried until golden brown. However, If you prefer a lighter moussaka that uses less oil, you can bake them.

Top Tips!

You may also make this recipe in a big baking dish; simply increase the number of ingredients called for in the recipe to serve a larger group.
Be generous! Add as many potatoes as you like to make this recipe even more delectable to taste and texture. The potato in this recipe makes the texture feel creamy and tender.
Use the globe eggplant or what others call American eggplant. It is bigger than other types of eggplant and has a meaty texture that will do well once put in the oven.
Sliced eggplants tend to stick to the baking sheets. So, it is best to line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent that from happening.

Recipe Variations

If you are a spicy food lover, you will love this recipe even more when you add red chili flakes.
Add creme fraiche before you top the dish with cheddar cheese. This addition will make this recipe creamier and more wholesome than you would expect.
Make this recipe even cheesier by adding parmesan cheese on top of the cheddar. Cheesy and melty seem the best way to top this dish off.
Replace ground lamb with ground beef if you prefer.
Add in some fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or sage.
Top this dish with béchamel sauce instead of cheese.
Skip the lamb meat to make a vegetarian moussaka recipe.
If you want this dish to have a rich meat sauce, add an extra layer of bolognese sauce or tomato sauce.
Instead of boiling the potatoes, you can bake them.
Add to the ground lamb while cooking some ground cinnamon, lemon zest or a cinnamon stick.

Lamb Moussaka with potatoes in a baking dish.

How To Serve Lamb Moussaka

This classic greek dish can be served alone since it is already as filling as it is. However, if you wish to pair it with other dishes, you may do so by serving it with rough bread or green salad.

It would also be quite a whole restaurant menu if you serve this dish alongside any of your pasta favorites. Wash the dish off with iced tea.

Storage

Make in advance: Bake the eggplants and then put them in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days in advance to make this dish.

How To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container before refrigerating for three days.

To freeze this Moussaka casserole: Wrap the uncooked casserole in a cling film and store it in the freezer for up to three months. You can bake it from frozen. However, you need to adjust the baking time accordingly.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make my homemade sauce instead of using passata?

Peel a bunch of tomatoes and use them as your base sauce for this recipe instead of using passata. Tomatoes will not provide the thick consistency of passata, but they will give you a more veggie vibe, and can already serve as a saucy addition to the dish.

How to reheat my leftover moussaka?

Reheat the entire dish in the oven, or you may do it in the microwave instead. If you want to reheat the dish in the oven, set the temperature to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit), and then put the entire pan in the middle of the oven for fifteen minutes.

Love eggplants? Check also Eggplant Napoleon and Grilled Eggplant Lasagna Recipe.

Recipes you may like

Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to recipe all the latest recipes once published! You can also follow Healthy Life Trainer on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!