Greek · Dinner
Layered Eggplant and Meat Bake
Layered eggplant and lamb bake built from pan-fried eggplant slices, cinnamon-spiced lamb ragu, and a nutmeg-scented béchamel finished under the oven until golden and set. Served warm with a green salad, echoing the structure of moussaka.
$6
25 minsPrep
45 minsCook
70 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
735Calories
42.8gProtein
49.6gFat
30.1gCarbs
13.9gSugar
6.8gFiber
780mgSodium
183mgChol
21.4gSat Fat
1420mgPotassium
420mgCalcium
5.2mgIron
2.8mcgVitamin B12
9.5mgVitamin C
protein-rich
high-fiber
mediterranean
all-time-classics
Instructions
1
Prep
Salt the eggplant slices and lay on a rack for 10 minutes to draw out moisture, then pat dry.
2
Fry
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the eggplant 2–3 minutes per side until softened and golden.
3
Sauté
Heat the remaining oil over medium and sauté the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
4
Brown
Add the lamb to the skillet and brown over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, breaking it apart until no pink remains. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, cinnamon, and cloves, then simmer over medium-low heat for 12 minutes until thickened.
5
Build
Layer half the fried eggplant in a baking dish, spoon the lamb sauce over it, top with remaining eggplant, then pour the béchamel over and scatter the remaining parmesan.
6
Béchamel
Melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute until pale gold, then gradually whisk in the milk and cook 3–4 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg and half the parmesan until smooth.
7
Bake
Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 20–25 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
8
Rest
Let the bake stand for 10 minutes so the layers set enough to hold shape when cut.
9
Plate
Cut into a wedge and serve warm on a plate alongside a green salad.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 14 oz394g ground lamb
- 22 small eggplant (about 200g)
- 2/3 cup80g, about a third of a 14 oz can canned tomatoes
- 1/2 cup80g onion
- 4 cloves4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 tbsp60ml olive oil, divided
- 1 cup240ml whole milk
- 2 tbsp28g butter
- 2 tbsp16g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 pinch2 pinch ground cloves
- 2 pinch2 pinch ground nutmeg
- 2 oz56g parmesan
- 2 tbsp30ml beef stock
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
