This simple moussaka recipe is so versatile. You can add your favourite veggies, make it more traditional with eggplant layers or stick to our potato version.
Preparing a Simple Potato Zucchini Moussaka
Start by warming up the oven to 400°F. By the time the oven is preheated, you should be ready to put the moussaka in.
Cook the ground beef on a heated pan until browned. Break it up with a spatula as it cooks so that it doesn’t cook in big chunks.
While the meat I cooking get your layering vegetables ready. Wash and slice the zucchini and peel and slice the potatoes. Use a mandolin if you have one as it makes this process so much easier. Naturally, if you don’t have one, a knife will do just fine. I find that I can’t cut the slices as thinly when I use a knife so I do the best I can and just add a few minutes to the cooking time to make sure the potatoes are cooked thoroughly.
Back to the meat mixture. Once the meat has browned, add the oregano, stock (if using), and salt and pepper. Mix it all up to make sure the spices are distributed evenly. Cook for 1 minute or so and then add the tomato paste. Stir everything together making sure the meat is well coated with the tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
As I mentioned above, this recipe is very versatile and flexible. You can add any veggies you like to the meat to make it your own. I often add onions and peas, even peas and carrots. This takes it away from the more traditional moussaka but definitely doesn’t make it any worse.
Grease an oven-safe dish. I use an 8” round CorningWare dish or a square 9”x9” glass dish. Layer the moussaka in the following order: Potatoes, meat, zucchini, meat potatoes. This order isn’t critical but I do recommend potatoes on the bottom to make it more sturdy when serving.
Layer the potatoes in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with half of the meat mixture. Next, add a layer of zucchini slices and once again sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the remaining meat. The last layer is potatoes with salt and pepper.
Traditionally moussaka is topped with a thick bechamel layer but that’s a bit more work than we’re willing to put in for a Monday night meal so we will keep it extra simple. In a small bowl, beat the egg and add the remaining egg mixture ingredients. Beat together to combine.
Pour this mixture over the layered moussaka in the oven-safe dish, cover, and bake for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, take off the lid to crisp up the top layer a little. Feel free to also
top the moussaka with cheese if you like. I’ve tested many kinds of cheese including parmesan and you just can’t go wrong.Serving
Cut and serve this potato zucchini moussaka with your favourite side. I love pairing this moussaka with a light spinach salad with lemon dressing. I find the citrus adds a nice balance to the comfort feel of the main dish.
Our green beans with onion garlic topping are also an excellent side.
Enjoy!!
Substitutions
Traditionally, moussaka is layered with eggplant not potatoes but I find the extra step of prepping the eggplant just cumbersome enough to only make it once in a blue moon. My go-to are either potatoes, zucchini, or both as presented here. The order of the layers makes little difference however I do prefer potatoes on the bottom as they tend to keep the moussaka more intact.
You can also use sweet potatoes which gives this dish yet another twist. If using sweet potatoes, go for the more traditional moussaka spices and add a little cinnamon and nutmeg. You won’t regret it!
Making this moussaka with beef really does make it the perfect hearty dish but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. I love ground chicken or turkey so we often substitute the meat with poultry. If you’re a fan of lamb you’ll also enjoy mixing lamb with beef or just using ground lamb on its own. A little cinnamon and nutmeg really complement the lamb as well.
Moussaka Recipe
Equipment
- Mandolin (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp vegetable stock powder optional
- 75 ml tomato paste
- 3 potatoes
- 1 small zucchini
Egg mixture:
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Heat up a large pan and cook the ground beef until it's browned, breaking it up as it cooks.1 lb ground beef
- While the meat is cooking, peel and slice the potatoes and wash and slice the zucchini. I use a mandolin to make this step extra easy. If you don’t have a mandolin you can cut them by hand making sure to cut relatively even slices, approximately 1/16th of an inch. You can cut them thicker if it’s easier just add a few more minutes to your cooking time.3 potatoes, 1 small zucchini
- Add oregano, salt, pepper and bouillon powder and stir to combine. Cook for another minute.1 tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp vegetable stock powder
- Add tomato paste and mix everything until evenly coated, cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.75 ml tomato paste
- Spray an oven safe 8” dish with cooking spray and put one layer of potato slices on the bottom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour half of the meat mixture on top and spread in an even layer. Next, cover the meat with one layer of zucchini slices, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the remaining meat mixture on top. Top with a final layer of potatoes and once again sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Make the egg mixture. Combine all ingredients and beat to break up the eggs and mix all ingredients. Pour over the layered moussaka in the oven-safe dish.1 egg, ¼ cup milk, Pinch of salt, ¼ tsp sweet paprika, Pinch ground black pepper
- Place in the oven and bake covered for 40 minutes. In the last 5 minutes take off the lid to get a bit of crisp on the top layer of the potatoes.
- Remove from oven, cut into four pieces and serve with your favourite side.
