If you’re following the Paleo diet (or just trying to eat less processed foods), you know how hard it can be to come up varied, healthy meals that are also delicious and filling. Here’s a great option for tonight’s dinner: a moussaka that’s been given a super healthy update.
You might think that removing the cream sauce and cheese from this classic Greek casserole would mean sacrificing flavor, but that’s where Garlic Gold® comes in! The eggplant slices are drizzled with Garlic Gold® Oil and baked before going into the casserole, while sliced mushrooms and beef are sautéed on the stovetop. Finally, we sprinkle our Italian Herb Nuggets over every layer of the casserole as we’re layering the sauce, beef, and vegetables, for even more garlic flavor and savory spice.
-Coco Morante, Recipe Editor for Garlic Gold®
- 2 large eggplants, sliced thinly
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Garlic Gold® Oil
- 1 pound button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1 750-gram carton finely chopped or crushed tomatoes (or 3 cups marinara sauce)
- 6 tablespoons Garlic Gold® Italian Herb Nuggets
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread out the slices of eggplant in an even layer on the baking sheets, then sprinkle them with the sea salt and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the Garlic Gold® Oil.
- Bake the eggplant until softened and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. You’ll be cooking the mushrooms and ground beef together on the stove while the eggplant bakes.
- Sauté the mushrooms and beef: Heat the remaining tablespoon of Garlic Gold® Oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté them until they’ve lost most of their moisture and are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef to the skillet with the mushrooms. Sauté until the meat is browned and cooked through, and most of the moisture has evaporated from the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Assemble the moussaka: Ladle a cup of the chopped tomatoes or sauce into a 9-inch square baking dish and sprinkle on a tablespoon of Garlic Gold® Italian Herb Nuggets evenly over the tomatoes. Layer half of the baked eggplant slices over the sauce, and sprinkle on another tablespoon of the nuggets. Spoon half of the meat and mushroom mixture on top of the eggplants, then sprinkle another tablespoon of nuggets on top of the meat. Repeat layers of tomato sauce, eggplant, and meat, with a tablespoon of Italian Herb sprinkled over each layer, then top with a final layer of tomato sauce and nuggets.
- Bake the moussaka for 30 minutes, then remove from it the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Cut into slices and serve hot.
- This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, low-sodium, low-carb and paleo-friendly! With 375 calories and 17 grams of protein per serving, it’s a perfectly portioned, healthy dinner.
- Clean as you go for easier after-dinner dishes. While the moussaka is baking, it’s a great time to tidy up the kitchen and wash your skillet and baking pans.
- Classic moussaka is made with ground lamb — feel free to substitute lamb for the ground beef. You can also use ground chicken or turkey breast for a leaner dish, or make it vegan with crumbled tempeh or tofu.
