Deconstructed Moussaka
with bechamel sauce / roasted parsnips and eggplant
Our deconstructed moussaka captures all the flavors of this beloved Greek dish in a weeknight friendly recipe.
Smarts: Bechamel is a white sauce that forms a creamy layer over the meat in this recipe. The key to a smooth bechamel is whisking constantly as it cooks. Heating the almond milk slightly before adding it to the sauce also helps to prevent lumps from forming.
Smarts: Bechamel is a white sauce that forms a creamy layer over the meat in this recipe. The key to a smooth bechamel is whisking constantly as it cooks. Heating the almond milk slightly before adding it to the sauce also helps to prevent lumps from forming.
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Ingredients
Deconstructed Moussaka:
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
- Allspice (opt) - 1/4 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/4 tsp
- Onions, medium - 1 , chopped
- Garlic - 3 cloves , chopped
- Lamb, ground - 1 lb (sub any ground meat)
- Eggplant, Chinese - 1 lb , cubed (sub Japanese or regular)
- Parsnips - 1 lb , peeled and cubed
- Foil - for cooking
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Stock, any type - 1/2 cup
- Tomato paste - 2 Tbsp
Paleo Bechamel Sauce:
- Egg yolks - 2 , whisked
- Almond milk - 1 3/4 cups
- Butter - 4 Tbsp
- Arrowroot powder - 2 Tbsp
- Bay leaf - 1
- Nutmeg, ground (opt) - 1/8 tsp
Prep
- Make spice mix - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating before continuing with prep.) Combine salt, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Onions / Garlic - Prep as directed. Store in separate containers. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Season lamb - Stir spice mix into lamb. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Eggplant / Parsnips - Prep as directed.
- Egg yolks - Separate yolks from whites (save whites for another use). Whisk egg yolks.
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Make
- Heat oven to 425F / 218C.
- Brush a sheet pan with some cooking oil. Spread eggplant and parsnips out in a single layer. Cover pan tightly with foil.
- Roast in the oven for 10 minutes to get the vegetables started cooking. (Watch this video for tips on roasting at high heat.)
- Once vegetables are in the oven, make bechamel sauce.
- Heat almond milk in the microwave just until warm to the touch.
- Melt butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add arrowroot powder and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and creamy, ~2 minutes.
- While still whisking, slowly pour almond milk over butter / arrowroot powder mixture. Keep whisking until everything is evenly combined. Add bay leaf and nutmeg and simmer bechamel until thick and creamy, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer bechamel to a small bowl and wipe out skillet (you’ll use it for cooking the meat).
- Remove roasting vegetables from the oven.
- Reduce oven to 400F / 204C.
- Remove foil from vegetables and toss vegetables with first portion of oil. Season with some salt and pepper. Return to oven and continue roasting, stirring halfway through cooking, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Return to skillet. Heat skillet with second part of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add lamb and saute, breaking it apart, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain off as much excess liquid / grease as possible.
- Add garlic to lamb. Saute for 2 minutes more.
- Stir in stock and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Whisk egg yolks into bechamel sauce. Discard bay leaves. Pour sauce over lamb. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve lamb over roasted vegetables. If you still have green onions from earlier in the week, you can chop some and put them on top for a pop of color. Enjoy!
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