Moussaka - Regular and Vegan!

Easter is quickly approaching and both of my daughters will be coming to visit with their spouses.   My daughters work a lot of hours, so I like to make things for their freezers to pull out on a busy week night.  This is my recipe for Moussaka.  It can be made either normal, lo-cal or vegan.  We will break the list of ingredients down as we go.  Let's start with the vegetables:
1 medium eggplant
3-4 medium red skin potatoes
1 onion
Olive Oil or Pam
Salt and Pepper (I prefer Morton's Nature Seasonings)

1.)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2.)  Peel and slice the eggplant to 1/4 inch slices.
3.)  Either brush both sides with olive oil, or spray both sides with Pam.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.








4.) Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, set aside.

5.)  Bring a bot of water to boil.  Once the water boils, heavily salt the water.
6.)  Slice the potatoes in 1/4 inch slices.
7.)  Peel the onion and slice in half moons again about a 1/4 inch.

8.)  Boil the onions and the potatoes for five minutes.  Do not boil for any longer.
9.)  Drain and set aside.



Meat Sauce:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 pound of mushrooms chopped.  Don't like mushrooms?  Don't use them!
1 pound of ground beef, lamb, turkey or a bag of soy crumbles
2 teaspoons of either fresh or dried oregano (if using dry, crumble the oregano between you palms)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 cup of red wine
1 can of Hunt's prepared spaghetti sauce

1.)  Heat skillet.  Add olive oil, mushrooms and ground meat of choice.  Cook through, breaking up the meat.
2.)  Add the oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and garlic.
3.)  Deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Simmer for a minute or two
4.)  Add the sauce and let it simmer for about five minutes to thicken and reduce.  Remove from heat.

1.)  Layering the casserole.  Start with a layer of the Meat sauce.  Next a layer of the potatoes and onions, then a layer of the roasted eggplant, then another layer of the sauce, another layer of the potatoes and top with the remaining sauce.


Making the Bechamel:
5 tablespoon butter, margarine or soy margarine
5 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk, lowfat milk, or soy milk
dash of nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
Optional - 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
Optional - 1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs

1.)  Melt the butter/margarine in a saucepan over medium heat.
2.)  Whisk in the flour and stir for a minute or two to get rid of the flour taste.
3.)  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Once the milk is in, allow the mixture to cook and thicken over medium heat.  Whisking frequently.  When thick, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper (and cheese if adding)

4.)  Pour the bechamel over the other layers.  Sprinkle with the optional Panko bread crumbs.  Cover with foil.
5.)  Bake in a 350 degree for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.

Really good served with a tossed salad and garlic bread!