GREEK MOUSSAKA

Ingredients

11/2 lbs Japanese eggplants (0.68 kg)

3 tbsp olive oil (45 mL)

1/2 tsp seasoning salt (2 mL)

1-1/2 lbs lean ground meat (0.68 kg)

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (411 g)

1/4 cup tomato paste (60 mL)

11/2 tsp salt (7 mL)

1 tsp oregano (5 mL)

1 tsp cinnamon (5 mL)

1/2 tsp black pepper (2 mL)

1/4 tsp allspice (1 mL)

1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese (125 mL)

White Sauce:

6 oz cream cheese (180 g)

1-1/2 cups half and half

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (75 mL)

3 tbsp butter (45 mL)

2 eggs, fork beaten

1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)

1/4 tsp black pepper (1 mL)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Cut ends of eggplant off and slice them thinly and place in large bowl. In small bowl combine olive oil and seasoning salt. Pour over eggplant and toss to combine. Place on cookie sheets in one layer and roast eggplant about 20 minutes or until browned and either soft or crispy (some will be soft and some crispy – thinner slices will be crispy). Set aside.

In nonstick frying pan, cook meat, breaking it up very small, over medium heat until browning. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper and allspice and continue cooking on slightly lower heat for a while. While meat is simmering, make the white sauce.

White Sauce: In sauce pot or frying pan, combine cream cheese (broken into small bits), half & half, Parmesan cheese and butter. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. In small bowl, stir some of the sauce into eggs which have been beaten with the salt and pepper, and add back to the rest of the sauce over very low heat; remove quickly from heat as the sauce thickens.

Reduce oven heat to 350°F (180°C). In 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish, layer some white sauce, eggplant, meat, and repeat ending with meat and some white sauce (won’t fully cover). Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese to cover blank spots and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired. Bake 45 minutes and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Yield: 9 servings

1 serving

397.4 calories

22.1 g protein

30.4 g fat

1.1 g fiber

8.7 g net carbs