Moussaka Made with Cauliflower Bechamel… But You’d Never Even Know It {Paleo, Whole30}

If you’re not familiar with moussaka, you’re in for a real treat.

It’s a Greek classic… a layered comfort dish packed with eggplant, meat, usually some potatoes, and some creamy bechamel.  While there are many versions out there, it’s one of those dishes that isn’t strayed from all too often.  The meat almost always has some blend of nutmeg, allspice, and/or cinnamon in it, which makes it extra cozy and comforting.  Sometimes the eggplant and potatoes are breaded and fried, sometimes they’re kept light and baked.  But other than that, people tend to leave this guy pretty straight-forward and traditional… ’cause it’s good just as is.

When it comes to cooking, I usually do things as my yiayia and mom did, so like them, I keep this super simple and light.  Roasted veggies and a simple meat mixture.

But, this time I broke the rules with the bechamel.

I have a moussaka recipe on my blog I made years ago- they same one I’ve always made and loved.  It’s HERE for those who want to see.  I adore it.  But then, about a year and a half ago, I created THIS dish- a roasted butternut squash, beef, and cauliflower bechamel layer that I’m in love with.  Since creating that dish, I’ve been cauli-bechamel hooked.  I put in on everything.  For about a year now, I’ve been dying to make a moussaka with it- a twist that is not only delicious, but makes it so this classic comfort dish can be enjoyed by those with dairy allergies too.  Oh, and those with gluten allergies also.  Yep, this dish is totally dairy-free, grain-free, and sugar-free… BUT you seriously would never even know it.  (Note: I get asked about ghee a lot- ghee is often considered dairy-free because the milk solids are removed… read more here if you’d like.  Of course if you’d rather use something else, by all means please do.)

Even my mister, who is a grain and dairy-lover loves this dish.  And while I try to minimize inflammatory foods in my cooking, I don’t need to have this dairy-free: I just love this new version so much I figure, hey, why not?!  I don’t feel like there is any flavor or texture sacrificed here.  None.  I honestly can’t even tell a difference between this and the classic.  And, I don’t feel heavy or weighed down enjoying mass amounts of it.  (Yes, masses, I can’t resist.)  And for those you cannot tolerate dairy or gluten, it’s a winner for them too.  Triple bonus.

(Psst, if you’re not able to have eggs, you can omit the egg in the bechamel… egg helps makes it a little lighter and fluffier, but it is not absolutely necessary.)

I’m not usually one to freeze meals- I never seem to have enough leftovers to do so! But this time, I decided this was a great time to start- I knew I’d want more if this stuff later.  So rather than making one large dish, I made two half batches.  What would we do with ten pieces of moussaka anyway!?  (Ergh, we’d totally eat it all in one sitting is what we’d do. :/ ) But, there are just two of us here, so I made a smaller portion to bake, and made another to keep in the freezer for a lazy night down the road.  It worked beautifully.  Well except, we ate the entire batch within the first 24 hours.  I thought it would last us days, but nope- we had moussaka for dinner that night, and for breakfast the next day.  And the last piece for lunch too.  And then, we went right to the frozen batch just two days later.  Eek.  Moussaka monsters over here. :0

Besides the flavor, one thing I love about this dish is that it makes people who don’t traditionally love veggies like eggplant, love veggies like eggplant.  It’s a nutrient-packed mess.  Eggplant, protein, cauliflower… kiddos will be happily eating more vegetables than they ever thought possible! 😉

Awesome sidenote: Recently, this ranch out in Montana sent me a ton of grassfed cuts to try out.  Lucky me, I know!  Not only am I stoked to have a pile of high-quality grassfed beef on hand, but it’s from Montana, my old stomping grounds no less!!  Pretty pumped to go see the ranch when I’m back in MT this coming summer.  The company is called Yellowstone Grassfed Beef– I highly recommend you go HERE and check them out.  🙂

Ohhhhh, AND, it’s not just me who’s lucky.  ‘Cause you know what this sweet company has done?  They’ve decided to gift you too!  Yep.  You!  If you want to order anything from then between now and May, you’ll get 20% your entire order.  Yes, 20% off!!  Christmas has continued folks.

Like  lasagna, moussaka can be a labor of love.  It’s all about timing.  While one thing is cooking, prep another.  If you do it right, it shouldn’t feel too cumbersome.  Regardless, it’s totally worth every ounce of effort put in. Trust me.

Kay kay, enough babble, let’s get to the feastin’!

 INGREDIENTS

for veggie layers…

2 eggplant, medium-large in size

3 russet potatoes

drizzle olive oil

salt and pepper

.

for meat…

1 lb ground beef (turkey, lamb, or bison work too)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

drizzle olive oil, 1-2 tbsp

.

for the cauliflower ‘bechamel’…

1 head of cauliflower (approx 6 cups chopped)

1 cup chicken broth (homemade or good-quality store-bought)

1/4 cup coconut milk (not the light stuff)

1 tbsp ghee (or butter)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

1 egg (see note above for egg-free version)

.

optional garnish..

sprinkle of paprika

fresh oregano

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

To prep the veggie layers…

Chop ends and discard

Slice eggplant approx 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, as evenly as possible

Lay eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt

Salt helps the eggplant ‘sweat’, which releases excess moisture

Toss ’em around a bit, then let them sit for approx 30 minutes

Meanwhile, prep the taters

Peel each potato, then slice it approx 1/4 inch thick…

try to get them as even as you can for even cooking

(no need to be freakish about it… it’s okay if a few are different here and there) 😉

Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer

Brush lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle salt and pepper over the tops

(Alternatively, you can pan-fry them on the stove with a little olive oil)

Bake for approx 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked

Set aside for now

By now, the eggplant should be good to go…

you’ll likely even be able to see some moisture pulled out over the tops

Rinse the eggplant under cool water- you want to get all that salty moisture outta there

Using a towel, press lightly on the slices to pat them dry

(I usually do this right on the baking sheet)

Layer the eggplant along the baking sheet (I use the same one I had the taters on),

then brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Bake for approx 15 minutes, until soft and lightly golden

(Again, alternatively you could pan-fry them on the stove)

When the eggplant is done, lower the oven temp to 350 degrees

While the eggplant is baking, begin the cauliflower bechamel…

Remove the stem and any leaves, then chop (or pull apart) the cauliflower florets

Place the cauliflower in a large pot along with the chicken broth

Cover the pot, then cook over medium heat to steam the cauliflower

This should take approx 15-20 minutes, depending on how large the florets are…

you want them totally soft and cooked through- test by poking with a fork 🙂

Add the cauliflower, along with any remaining broth in the pot, to a blender or food processor

Add coconut milk, nutmeg, ghee, salt, and pepper

Blend until smooth

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired… I typically find I need to nearly

double the salt, pepper, and nutmeg (the more flavor the better in my little opinion!),

but it’s best to start light then add from there

Adding in is a lot easier than taking out 😉

Once you have the flavors how you like, add the egg

Blend until smooth and creamy

Set aside for now

To make the meat sauce…

Add oil to a large pot or pan over medium-high heat

Add the onion, parsley and garlic

Cook for a couple of minutes, 1 or 2, just to get the flavors going

Add all of the remaining ingredients (meat, tomatoes, and seasonings)

Cook for approx 10 minutes, stirring every so often, until meat is no longer pink

Once cooked, taste and adjust flavors as desired

Alright, we are ready to go…!

To assemble…

Grease a baking dish with ghee or oil

You can either use one large 9×13 lasagna-type dish, or two smaller guys instead

Begin by layering potatoes along the bottom

Overlapping is okay, just try to evenly spread them all out

Top with half the eggplant slices

I usually sift through and save the better-looking half for the top 😉

Top with the meat mixture

Spread it out so it’s covering the whole area evenly

Top with the remaining eggplant slices

Last layer here…

Pour that bechamel over the top, then spread it out, creating an even smooth layer

Totally optional, but I always sprinkle some paprika over the top for color…

A trick my mom taught me way back when 🙂

Remember earlier when I said to lower the oven temp to 350?  In case you missed that, do it now 😉

Bake the moussaka, uncovered, for approx 45 minutes, until the top is golden

(If you want it browner, raise the heat right at the end)

Top with some oregano if you’d like, for presentation…

Tip: Let it cool a bit to set before cutting into it,

otherwise you’ll have a sloppy slice instead of a nicely layered square

Devour & enjoy!!