Lighten-up easy Moussaka Stuffed Eggplants bring a traditional Greek comfort food to a whole new level - Easy to make, gluten-free and ready in just 30 min, this is a great recipe the whole family will love.
In case you're not familiar with Moussaka, is basically a Greek version of classic Italian lasagna.
In place of pasta sheets however, this gluten-free dish uses layers of fried aubergine slices to separate the meat filling.
Moussaka is a very traditional Greek dish, so every family as its own version.
Being half-greek myself, I've got my personal go-to moussaka too, which is a bit lighten up but still bursting with awesome flavors.
These Moussaka Stuffed Eggplants come together much faster than you may think.
They take about 30 min to make start to finish, and only require few simple ingredients including pantry staples, fresh ricotta, beef/veal mince and of course eggplants.
The quality of the mince in this recipe is critical.
Feel free to go for the classic route and choose lamb, or opt for a more versatile option with goof-quality beef or veal.
Rather than buying ready prepared mince ask your butcher to freshly mince some meat (free-range organic farm meat is highly preferable).
You should neither look for fatty cuts or super lean cuts such as fillet or sirloin. Chuck steak or braising steak is the right quality (coarsely minced, with around 10% fat).
The ricotta sauce is whipped up in seconds, and lighter than béchamel sauce, originally used in traditional moussaka. All you have to do is mix together ricotta with a bit of light crème fraîche.
This sauce is my go-to alternative to béchamel (even when making lasagna), and I find it super handy when it comes to these sorts of recipes.
There's no need to put the dish back in the oven for further baking, and I really like its refreshing flavor, which lifts things up and gives a nice contrast.
Once you're good with the sauce, prepare the eggplant.
Simply score a criss-cross pattern over each halved eggplant (making sure not to cut through the skin), season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and thyme, and put them in the oven for about 20 min.
Whilst they bake, prepare the meaty filling.
Moussaka filling is quite similar to bolognese sauce, but requires fewer ingredients and cooks a lot faster.
Simply sweat the onion, add in garlic, beef, tomatoes, thyme and cook for about 20 minutes, pouring stock half-way trough.
By the time the eggplants are nicely cooked, the filling is too. Scoop out the eggplant flesh and mix it together with your filling.
Finally, fill each eggplant with the moussaka mixture, top with ricotta sauce, sprinkle with basil & chili flakes (for a bit of heat) and your dinner is ready!
These easy Moussaka Stuffed Eggplants are the kind of comfort food I crave on cold nights this time of the year - They're awesomely quick to put together and guaranteed to be a big crowd-pleaser!
These easy Moussaka Stuffed Eggplants are the kind of comfort food I crave on cold nights this time of the year - They're easy to put together and guaranteed to be a big crowd-pleaser!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Recipe
Easy Moussaka Stuffed Eggplants
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, cut in half lengtwhise
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 thyme sprigs
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely minced
- 1 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 350 g good quality organic beef mince
- a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved and deseeded
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, I use double concentrate
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 2 thyme sprigs
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
For the ricotta sauce:
- 150 g fresh ricotta
- 2 tablespoon creme fraiche
- salt and pepper
- handful basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/400F.
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise through the stem, Then, score the flesh in a tight criss-cross pattern, making sure not to cut through the skin. Place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
- Brush with extra virgin olive each half, season with sea salt and a sprig of thyme, then bake for 20 minutes or until the flesh is soft and tender.
- In the meantime, prepare the filling. Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium heat, and fold in chopped onion and garlic.
- Add in beef mince, and cook for 5 min until brown, breaking the mince with a wooden spoon as you cook. Then stir in halved tomatoes, thyme and sugar and continue to cook for a further 2 min.
- Whisk the tomato paste into the chicken stock and pour over the beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 min, until the sauce has reduced consistently.
- In a separate bowl, whisk ricotta and creme fraiche together until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside until needed.
- Once the eggplants are ready, gently scoop out the flesh and mix it together with your filling. Finally, fill each eggplant with the moussaka mixture, top with ricotta sauce, sprinkle with basil & chilli flakes and serve immediately.
- Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Kirstie Gilbertson says
I made the stuffed eggplant recipe last night, and oh boy it's was fantastic. Thanks for a great recipe.
Andrea says
Hi Kirstie! I'm SOO happy to hear you liked it :)they have become a family favorite here at home!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
What a brilliant idea - so much more straightforward than making a full moussaka! I bet you could make a great veggie version as well, with lentils!
Andrea says
Definitely! I was already thinking about making an all-veggie version 🙂 I promise it will be up soon!
patisseriemakesperfect says
I used to have a huge problem with aubergines as I found them slimy and horrid. Then I realised it was just the way other people had cooked them and I made a delicious caponata and it was really good.
These look so tasty, I know I'd definitely like this and I'll have to try it.
Andrea says
oh I love aubergines! Maybe because I was raised in Sicily with tons of pasta alla norma (with fried aubergines) and caponata 🙂 Glad that caponata made you change your mind!
Ceri @Natural Kitchen Adventures says
This is such a great idea. I love Moussaka, and I think serving in individual portions like this looks so much more refined!
Andrea says
Thank you Ceri! Yes, I agree, moussaka looks so much prettier in this form 🙂
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
Wow these look fantastic! Love eggplant and cheese thanks for sharing
Andrea says
Thank you so much Deborah!
Leigh Suznovich says
Oh wow, I LOVE moussaka and this idea is genius! Looks so good, can't wait to try it 🙂
Andrea says
Thank you so much Leigh! Hope you love it as much as I do, don't forget to let me know how it turned out!
Warm N Fuzzie says
I love adding as many veggies as I can into my kids diet. I love how it only takes 30 mins to prepare. Thanks for the share. I'm pinning this for later!
Andrea says
The fact that it takes 30 min is my favorite bit 😀
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Oh wow those look insanely DELICIOUS!!!!! I would ditch the cheese and eat like 5 of them! haha!
Andrea says
Thank you GiGi!! With or without cheese trust me they're totally addicting!!