Do you happen to have an underused set of French onion soup bowls hiding somewhere? Ours had been sadly neglected, living at the very back of the most awkward cupboard in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure Tim ended up removing every other dish to get at them…while balancing precariously on a stool. But it was worth the trouble – this mini moussaka is decidedly more fun than regular sized moussaka, and there’s none of that first-slice-out-of-the-pan messiness.
If you are looking for a fast dinner idea…this is definitely not the one. While our last post was of the quick and easy variety (check it out – super simple Sesame Broccoli Slaw), this moussaka requires a little more time.
Yes, there are multiple components to prepare…and you’re going to need more than one pan – but it is worth it! So, if you’re in the mood to pour yourself a beverage and savour some time in the kitchen, these mini moussaka bowls won’t disappoint. And they make fantastic leftovers.
Mini Moussaka Bowls
Meat Sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup red wine
1 cup milk
salt & pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
Vegetables
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
salt
flour for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
White Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt & pepper
1 cup milk
parmesan for topping
Slice the eggplant and zucchini into 1/4″ rounds, sprinkle generously with salt, and set aside in a colander to drain.
In a large pan, brown the beef and pork over high heat. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Add olive oil to the pan, and saute the carrots, onion and celery for around 7 minutes, until softened.
Return the beef and pork mixture back into the pan with the vegetables. Add the nutmeg, oregano, red wine and bay leaf. Reduce until the liquid is evaporated – around 10 minutes.
Add 1 cup of milk and allow the liquid to reduce by about half. Stir in the can of diced tomatoes and season with salt & pepper. Let this simmer for at least half an hour. While the meat sauce is simmering away, let’s get back to the veggies…
Rinse the eggplant and zucchini slices to remove the salt and use a paper towel to pat dry. Dredge the slices in flour. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the eggplant and zucchini slices until nicely browned on both sides. You will likely have to fry these in batches – add more olive oil to the pan as necessary. Set aside the fried eggplant and zucchini slices on paper towels to drain.
Now for the white sauce. Heat 3 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat and add 3 tbsp of flour while whisking or stirring continuously to form a paste. Cook for 3 -4 minutes. Slowly pour in 1 cup of milk while whisking until combined. Stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Time to assemble your mini moussaka masterpieces…we used 6 french onion soup bowls, but you could also layer this in a large casserole dish. Start with a base of meat sauce, then a layer of zucchini and eggplant rounds, and the white sauce on top. Sprinkle generously with grated parmesan and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Enjoy!
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