Easy cheesy moussaka {potatoes + meat casserole}

Easy cheesy moussaka – made with potatoes, meat and cheese, this quick version of the famous Greek casserole is a crowd pleaser – elegant and impressive, it’s comfort food in its purest.

Before you try to pronounce the word ‘moussaka’ and get scared away, let me break it down to you: moussaka = potatoes + meat + cheese.  Now who doesn’t love that combination!?  If you have any preconceived notions about moussaka (maybe you remember it from the movie ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’, or simply think it’s some complicated multi-step dish), set those aside, and go with this easy, mouth-watering version.

Although moussaka is a Greek specialty, I consider it one of our national dishes.  Being so close to Greece, we inevitably share a lot of commonalities in our cuisines, and at some point we’ve  borrowed the idea from our neighbor, and made it our own.  In fact, it’s one of the most often cooked meals in any Bulgarian home.  Unlike Greek traditional moussaka, which is made with eggplants, and a bechamel sauce, we make ours mostly with potatoes, and replace the bechamel with a yogurt and egg topping (leave it to Bulgarians to sneak in yogurt into everything)!  This simplifies things a lot and makes for a quick and easy, but no less delicious dish.  It’s pure comfort food, done with finesse!

It comes together pretty quickly, and is no more complicated than making chili.  In fact, whenever I think of making chili or moussaka, I make them both at the same time, because they start in the same manner – saute onions, add ground meat, with cumin, paprika and some tomatoes.   At this point, I split the mix in two, and make chili with one, moussaka – with the other.

You can make moussaka with any vegetable + meat, or make it vegetarian, as long as you add the cheesy, yogurt and egg mix on top – that’s what defines the dish as a ‘moussaka’.   Potatoes, being everyone’s favorite, and a staple in every house, are naturally the #1 contender.  Plus, they don’t require the additional prep work that eggplants normally need.  All you have to do is cut them in tiny cubes, and throw them together with the ground meat mix, then cover with water, and bake until completely soft.

A few minutes before the potatoes are done, prepare the following easy sauce which will become the famous creamy, cheesy layer that crowns the dish, and is everyone’s favorite: mix a few eggs, yogurt and flour, as if you’re making pancake batter – takes 3 minutes. After the potatoes and meat are fully cooked, take them out, add some shredded cheese on top, and pour the batter over them.  Return the moussaka to the oven, and bake until you reach a golden perfection!  You can sprinkle some more cheese on top at the last minute, for a super yummy crust.

Wait till the moussaka cools off a bit, and serve with a heaping side of plain, cold, good quality yogurt.  Don’t forget a sprinkling of fresh herbs – I have a garden full of fresh savory so I used that, but you can use fresh oregano, thyme or even parsley.

Here are my few tips and tricks that will make this dish a success:

1) The use cumin in this potato moussaka is a must, as is the dried savory (you can find dried savory in the bulk section of some health food stores, or in the herb isle – it might go under the name of Summer savory, but if you can’t find it, use dry oregano, and/or thyme in its place).

2) I like to taste the meat and potatoes, and therefore use less tomatoes in this recipe, more paprika, and cumin which complement the meat.

3) I like to brown my potatoes a bit in oil, before mixing them with the meat, but that’s not required.  As long as you cook the potatoes fully, before adding the yogurt sauce, you will be fine.

Enjoy!

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Easy cheesy moussaka {potatoes + meat casserole}

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

Easy cheesy moussaka - made with potatoes, meat and cheese, this quick version of the famous Greek casserole is a crowd pleaser - elegant and impressive, it's comfort food in its purest.

Course: Main Dish

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 431 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 1 lbs ground beef (pork)
• 1 1/2 lbs potatoes , diced into 1 cm cubes
• 1 large onion
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 3-4 tbs tomato paste (mixed with 1/2 water), or 1 cup diced canned tomatoes with juices
• 1 tbs sweet paprika
• 1 tbs dry savory (oregano)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the topping:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups yogurt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Saute the onions in 2 tbs of olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground meat, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add cumin, dry savory/oregano (rub the dried herb between your palms to release the aroma), and sweet paprika, the tomato paste or diced tomatoes, and cook for a couple more minutes. Transfer to a baking dish.
4. Add the diced potatoes to the meat mixture and transfer to a baking dish. Pour enough water to barely cover the potatoes, add the additional 2 tbs of oil, and adjust the salt and pepper.

5. Bake at 400 ºF until the potatoes are completely cooked, and most of the liquid has evaporated.

6. Meanwhile prepare the topping by mixing the eggs, yogurt and flour into a smooth batter. Add a few pinches of salt.
7. Once the potatoes are done, spread some shredded cheese over them, and pour the topping. Return to the oven until the topping is set and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
8. Minutes before it's done, spread some more cheese on top and finish baking until the cheese melts.
9. Sprinkle fresh herbs - parsley, oregano, savory, and serve with a side of plain yogurt.