Baked Eggplant Casserole (Moussaka)

So there many, many different ways to make moussaka.  The Greek’s have their way, and the Egyptian’s have their way.  The best way to make a traditional moussaka is to fry the eggplant first.  In Egypt, you fry the eggplant and green bell peppers, top with a spicy meat sauce,and bake in the oven.  It is definitely a family favorite.  Although it is incredibly tasty, and well worth the trouble of dealing with all that oil and frying, it is just not the healthy way to go.  Especially not healthy, when you add a nice layer of bechamel sauce on top. Oh, yum! Well, I try to save the frying (and bechamel) for special occasions. Thus, here, I do not fry the eggplant, and this version has melted cheese on top, which reminds me more of a casserole than true moussaka.  So here goes my healthy version of moussaka, although the heaping amount of melted cheese on top may negate the saved calories….

Baked Eggplant Cassserole (Moussaka)
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 hour

1 lb of extra lean ground beef
1 eggplant, diced into cubes
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or your favorite cheese)
Olive oil
Salt & Black Pepper

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
(2) Prepare the ingredients, by chopping and dicing the eggplant, onion, green pepper, parsely, and garlic.
(3) In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin seeds. Saute until the onions are translucent.
(4) Add the ground beef, salt and black pepper to taste.
(5) Once the meat is thoroughly cooked, add the can of tomato sauce, parsley, and powdered cumin. Mix well, and let the mixture come to a rapid simmer.
(6) Add the diced eggplant, and, using the can of tomato sauce, add 1/2 can of water.
(7) Let the mixture again come to a rapid simmer. Reduce heat and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
(8) Add the entire contents into a deep casserole dish. Top the casserole with cheese, and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes.
(9) If you like, broil the casserole for the last 5 minutes, which will give a nice, crispy top layer to the casserole. Enjoy!