Moussaka with chard

Votes: 1

Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8

Layered Greek moussaka is a fusion of flavors and a blend of stunning aromas. This moussaka recipe is baked with Swiss chard and chard, which adds juiciness and healthiness to the dish. It's prepared in several stages, and then all the ingredients are layered in a single pan—potatoes, eggplant, meat sauce, stewed Swiss chard, and cheese sauce—and baked in the oven until the moussaka is set. A pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried oregano imparts a special aroma. This moussaka is very festive and filling, enough for a large crowd.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Casserole

450 g of ground beef or lamb
3 large eggplants (about 2 kg)
0.5 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil + extra for greasing the pan
1 large bunch chard, stems trimmed, leaves chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 can (400g) canned chopped tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
1 medium potato, peeled and thinly sliced

Cheese sauce

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
0.5 cups premium flour
5 cups whole milk, room temperature
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1.5 cups grated kefalotyri cheese or
0.5 cup grated Parmesan mixed with 1 cup crumbled feta
2 large eggs + 3 yolks

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: ground beef, minced lamb, eggplants, potato, pureed tomatoes, white wine, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, chard, nutmeg, oregano, cinnamon, bay leaf, cheese sauce, meat sauce

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat oven to 230°C (430°F). Trim the eggplants and slice lengthwise into 1-cm-thick slices. Arrange on two large foil-lined baking sheets; brush generously with 1/2 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add the Swiss chard and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and cool; squeeze out any excess water and set aside.

Wipe the pan dry, add the butter, and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the ground beef, breaking it up, along with the oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of salt, and black pepper to taste; cook until browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked through but still slightly pink, another 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbsPlace the potato slices in a baking dish, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and black pepper.
While the meat sauce is simmering, prepare the cheese sauce..

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring gently until a soft paste forms. Remove from heat, stir in the milk, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat again, stir in 1 cup of cheese, and let cool slightly, then whisk in the eggs and yolks.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Arrange half the eggplant on top of the potatoes. Top with half the meat sauce, then half the chard. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, meat sauce, and chard. Drizzle with the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup kefalotyri cheese. Bake the moussaka, uncovered, until the sauce is set and lightly browned on top, about 1 hour. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.