Eggplant Moussaka Recipe with Ground Turkey
Moussaka is one of Cody and I’s favorite dishes. We usually get a ground beef and potato moussaka (or sometimes lamb) at one of our favorite Greek restaurants, but lately (since it’s near impossible to go out to eat with 3 littles) I’ve been making it at home. And let me just say: it is SO good!
This healthy-ish version is assembled with roasted eggplant slices as the base, then a ground turkey and tomato meat sauce that’s so full of flavor, another layer of roasted eggplant, and then the creamy béchamel sauce topped with parmesan cheese. While it takes a little bit to put it together, it’s 100% worth it for how delicious it is. And I’m including tons of time-saving tips in this post!
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Ingredients/Substitutions
Eggplant – 5 large or about 6 small.
Ground Turkey – Lean ground turkey is my preference, but you can always make this eggplant casserole with ground beef instead.
Other Meat Sauce Ingredients – Avocado oil (or olive oil), diced onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef bone broth, sugar, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste!
Béchamel Sauce – Milk, butter, all-purpose flour, nutmeg, egg yolks, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Easily make this dairy-free by using unsweetened almond or soy milk, vegan butter, and dairy-free Parmesan instead!
Topping – Grated or shredded parmesan and fresh herbs (I love basil and thyme, fresh parsley is a great option, too)!
How to Make Eggplant Moussaka
While it does take some time and planning to make this eggplant moussaka recipe, once everything is cooked and assembled, it goes into the oven for 60 minutes of hands-off baking time. It will need to cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting into it to allow the juices to thicken a bit, so just be sure to plan for that as well!
1. Prep the Eggplant
Slice the eggplant, season with salt, and let sit in a colander for about 30 minutes to extract the moisture. Wash and pat dry!
TIP: You may prefer to cube the eggplant or cut it into smaller thin pieces for easier eating. Cutting thin vertical slices is still so delicious, but if you have little ones, they may enjoy cubed eggplant instead!
2. Roast the Eggplant
Lay on a sheet pan with a baking grate, then bake for about 20 minutes. Set aside.
3. Make the Meat Sauce
Cook the ground turkey meat sauce in a large skillet or sauté pan with high sides. Combine with beef broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, and seasoning to taste. Let simmer.
4. Make the Béchamel Sauce
Whisk the ingredients for the béchamel sauce together over low-medium heat in a saucepan. The sauce will become creamy and thick!
5. Assemble & Bake the Moussaka
Lastly, assemble the moussaka with layers of roasted eggplant, meat sauce, more eggplant, béchamel sauce, and parmesan cheese. Bake for 60 minutes, let cool for about 10 minutes, and enjoy!
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Time-Saving Tips
- You can prep the eggplant the night before to balance the time this recipe takes to prepare. Store the eggplant in a container covered with paper towels, do not seal the container; you can lightly cover it with plastic wrap instead.
- You can also prep the meat sauce in advance! After cooking, let it cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Cook the meat tomato sauce mixture while you cook the béchamel sauce (and while the eggplant roasts). This saves so much time!
Storing Leftovers
Leftover eggplant moussaka is still SO delicious! To store leftovers, let cool and place in an airtight container (preferably glass to prevent staining). Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, or place in the freezer for up to 2 months! To reheat, and a little bit of broth and heat in the microwave until evenly warm.
More Healthy Comfort Food Dinner Recipes
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Mediterranean Pizza Recipe
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Thai-Inspired Coconut Curry Shrimp
- One-Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
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Eggplant Ground Turkey Moussaka
Ingredients
- 5 large eggplants (or 6 small)
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup beef bone broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- pinch sea salt and ground black pepper
Bechamel Sauce
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or regular 2% milk)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of nutmeg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Topping
- 1/4-1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
Prep the Eggplant
- Cut the ends off and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices vertically.
- Season generously with salt and place in a colander for 30 minutes to extract moisture.Tip: Feel free to start the meat sauce while the eggplant sits out!
Bake the Eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add a baking grate to your sheet pan and spray with non-stick cooking oil.
- Rinse the eggplants with plenty of water and squeeze with your hands or lay between two towels and press with a baking sheet, to get rid of the excessive water.
- Pat them dry, then bake for 20 minutes.
- Set aside when done.
Make the Meat Sauce
- Heat a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add the avocado oil.
- Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes until just beginning to color.
- Stir in the ground turkey, breaking it up into a crumble. Cook until just browning about 10 minutes.
- When the turkey begins to brown, add the garlic and tomato paste; continue cooking until the garlic softens.
- Add in the bone broth to deglaze the pan and simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until most of the juices have evaporated.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf then set aside when done.
Make the Béchamel Sauce
- In a large sauce pan and melt the butter over low-medium heat.
- Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste.
- Warm milk in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add warmed milk to the pan while whisking to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy.
- Turn up to medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to thicken, stirring constantly. Its consistency should resemble a thick cream.
- Remove the béchamel pan from the stove and let cool for 5 minutes before quickly whisking in the egg yolks, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and grated cheese.
- Take one spoon full of béchamel and stir it in the meat sauce.
- Set the béchamel sauce aside.
Assemble & Bake
- Coat the pan with 1 tablespoon avocado oil on the bottom and sides of a large baking dish (9×13 inch) and layer the eggplants in half.
- Cover with all of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly.
- Add a second layer of eggplant.
- Pour all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
- Sprinkle with 1/4 – 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes or until it turns a light golden brown.
- Let cool before cutting into pieces. This will prevent the béchamel sauce from running out.
Video
Notes
- You can prep the eggplant the night before to balance the time this recipe takes to prepare. Store the eggplant in a container covered with paper towels, do not seal the container; you can lightly cover it with plastic wrap instead.
- You can also prep the meat sauce in advance! After cooking, let it cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Cook the meat tomato sauce mixture while you cook the béchamel sauce (and while the eggplant roasts). This saves so much time!
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