Moussaka is one of the old fashioned Greek dishes that’s delicious anytime of the year but particularly when you fancy winter comfort food. Everyone in Greece seems to have a special family recipe and this version came from an old family friend. It’s not very traditional because we used beef mince instead of lamb and Cheddar but it’s really delicious so enjoy!

ALL the ingredients for this recipe are now available at your local Ritchies supermarket. Find your local VIC, NSW or QLD store.

eggplant and potato moussaka

• 3 cups of bolognese sauce (see Ritchie’s classic Bolognese recipe)
• 1 large eggplant sliced 1 cm thick
• 3 large waxy potatoes scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove cut in slices
• olive oil for frying

for the savory egg custard

• 4 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 50g grated tasty Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180^o C

In a large heavy bottomed frying pan on a medium heat add enough olive oil to cover the base, add the garlic slices and fry for about 1 minute until they just start to colour and have flavoured the oil. Remove from the pan and fry the eggplant in the flavored oil until tender and light golden on both sides. You may need to add more oil as you go and cook the eggplant in batches.

Drain the cooked eggplant on absorbent kitchen paper. Using a large deep casserole dish alternately layer the sliced potato, bolognese sauce and egg plant. Finishing with a layer of eggplant.  In a large bowl whisk all the savory custard ingredients except the cheese until well combined. Pour gently over the moussaka and top with a sprinkling of grated cheese (if your using it). Bake in the oven for about 1 hour until the potatoes are cooked and tender and the custard is dark golden and set.  Serve hot with a Greek style salad. Serves 4-6.

Tip. This dish is perfect to make in a double batch for a yummy weekend meal. The leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and microwaves perfectly for an easy midweek meal.