Skinny chicken moussaka
on Sep 27, 2014, Updated Jun 25, 2020
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OK, confession time. I try to eat healthily most of the time, or at least like to think that I do, but I really fell off the smug healthy eater bandwagon this past Tuesday. Mr. Scrummy and I were meeting a friend for dinner, so I decided not to eat too much at lunchtime. Not because I thought I shouldn’t, but simply because I had a lot to do that day and in my twisted way of thinking I thought I could pretty much skip lunch and get on with my jobs instead, especially as we’d be eating a large meal that night.
So, off I went to a café to do some work on my laptop. I wasn’t hungry at all … until about half an hour after I sat down, that is. Then just as the stomach started growling big time, I spotted someone being brought potato wedges with sweet chili sauce and sour cream. Yum. My mouth started watering and so yes, I did give in and order some. They were absolutely delicious, of course. Mr. Scrummy and I used to order a portion to share regularly, but these seemed crispier and tastier than ever and with a larger portion of sauces than usual. I ate far too many and even burnt both my mouth and my fingers in my haste to gobble them up.
So that night at the restaurant (a mere two hours or so later, I’m ashamed to admit) I wasn’t hungry, of course. At all. In fact, I had a bit of a stomach ache. I ordered a salad and enjoyed it, but felt a little annoyed with myself for having destroyed my appetite in a moment of complete lack of self-control earlier on. Even worse, I didn’t admit it to Mr. Scrummy (I told you it was confession time – sorry Mr. Scrummy, if you’re reading this!)
Anyway, to sort of make up for that humungous dish of wedges I scoffed, I decided to keep the next day’s moussaka light. When I was living in Greece, moussaka was always my very favourite meal to order in a taverna. I loved the layers of smoky aubergine (that’s eggplant to you), rich tomato-ey meat sauce and thick béchamel topping. I even made it myself a few times, but I always found it fairly time-consuming. It’s also a relatively heavy, oily dish – or at least it is the way it’s usually made in Greece.
Enter this much lighter, easier to make version! You still need a little chunk of time to put this together (about half an hour to make the three layers and forty minutes or so to bake it) but it feels really simple. You basically just cut 2 aubergines into slices and bake them for about 25 minutes. While they’re baking, you make a simple tomato ragu sauce with chicken mince (Turkey would be fine too) flavoured with oregano, cinnamon and garlic and an equally as simple ‘béchamel’ topping out of Greek yoghurt, eggs and parmesan cheese. I always found making a flour-and-milk-based béchamel sauce for my moussaka a bit of a pain when I’d already worked hard on the other 2 layers, so I find this yoghurt topping the perfect lazy substitute. The big bonus is that by doing this, and of course by using chicken mince instead of beef or lamb, you cut out quite a lot of fat and calories, too.
Another great thing about this is that it’s one of those dishes that seems to taste better the next day, so heat up leftovers in the microwave for about 3 or 4 minutes for a perfect next-day lunch!
So I definitely learnt a valuable lesson this week – don’t eat a big stack of fried potatoes just before going out for a meal. Would you own up to your significant other if you did something like this?
Skinny chicken moussaka
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant/aubergines, cut into even 1/2 cm-thick slices
- olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 17 ounces minced chicken, or turkey
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree mixed with 1 cup water
- 1 cup red or white wine
- salt and pepper
- bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
For the yoghurt ‘béchamel’ topping
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 1/4 cup Greek yoghurt, 2% fat
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- a generous pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Lay the eggplant/aubergine slices on large baking trays and brush each side with a little olive oil. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the slices are soft and floppy.
- Meanwhile, start making your chicken ragu sauce. Start by softening your onion for a few minutes in a little olive oil, then add the garlic, cinnamon & oregano and cook and stir for a couple more minutes.
- Add the chicken to the pan and brown while breaking up with a wooden spoon. Then add the tomato puree & water and wine. Let the sauce simmer gently until it has thickened (about 20 to 30 minutes). At the last minute, add in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the topping, place the cornflour in a medium bowl and slowly mix in the yoghurt until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Then mix in the eggs well and add the nutmeg.
- Now you’re ready to assemble your moussaka! (I used an 11 by 7 inch baking dish, but slightly larger would probably be ideal) Start with a layer of eggplant/aubergine slices, followed by half of the ragu sauce, another layer of eggplant/aubergine, another layer of meat and a final layer of eggplant/aubergine. Finally, pour the yoghurt topping over the top and smooth it out.
- Bake for forty to forty-five minutes or until the topping is golden and bubbling (cover it with aluminium foil if it gets too dark). Leave the moussaka to rest for half an hour before serving (so that the pieces stay together better when you cut and serve them).
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow!! I’m speechless! This looks so lovely! Literally… perfect! I would absolutely LOVE a slice with a nice side salad for dinner!! What a great recipe! 🙂
Aw, thanks so much for the enthusiastic response, Cailee! I’m actually making this again for friends today – I really hope you give it a go some time and enjoy it with that lovely fresh side salad!
Ok – so I have a confession too – I licked the screen – that thick béchamel topping is phenomenal! I don’t think I’ve ever had moussaka before – it sounds a lot like an eggplant lasagna of sorts but better!
That’s a great comparison, Shashi! I think it is a little like a lasagne, except the flavours are a bit different and of course this version is a bit healthier because there’s no pasta or butter-flour based sauce. So glad you like it and hope you get to try some moussaka some time.
This is gorgeous! I did NOT eat well last week, but I’m working to turn myself around this week 🙂
Good for you! So glad you like this moussaka, Medha!
Helen! Oh dear. I’ve done the same thing. But with cupcakes and then going off to a birthday dinner. It really sucks to not be hungry when eating out! However, I will say that even if I wasn’t hungry, I would eat this moussaka! That gorgeous, shiny, golden brown top is totally legitimate. I’ve never made it before, but I will certainly use a variation of your recipe when I do. Fun post, as always. And I love when you share these little human experiences as I think we all go through ’em! 🙂 PS. This recipe made me think about the lemon potatoes that I love from Greek restaurants and now I have an intense craving for some!
Ah, yes, the lemon potatoes! Aren’t they just the best – with all that beautiful oregano and salt on, too … mmm, now you’ve got me craving them for breakfast!
Thanks so much for the comment about the ‘human experiences’ in my posts. I find that encouraging because sometimes I find myself thinking: “Is this too lame to post?”
I would love to see you do a vegetarian version of a moussaka … I was just talking with a family member last night about how it’s hard to make a good veggie version. I bet you would be able to, though!
Hahaha, love your confession time. There are times I’ll keep things I’ve ate hidden from my wife… especially if it involves fatty fast food hahaha. Love this skinny version of the moussaka! Looks delish!
Phew! So glad it’s not just me that has done things like that, Chris!! Although that was the first time, I have to say (just in case you’re reading this, Mr. Scrummy!)
So glad you approve of the skinny moussaka!
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Why can’t our hunger just behave and only act up when we want it too?!
Love that this is a lighter version of total comfort food. Sometimes you need to satisfy those cravings and it’s great to have a healthier option!
So glad you like this ‘lighter comfort food’, Joanne. I felt pretty smug after making this! Shame about the fries gobbling!
This recipe sounds great. I’ve never made moussaka before, and I love the idea of using yogurt to make the béchamel. I need help with one of the ingredients: cornflour. Don’t know exactly what that is.
I’m actually pretty well-behaved around food those days. My husband and I are around each other almost all the time since we are both retired, and we are on an eating plan and keep each other straight. That doesn’t mean I don’t do things I regret, but fortunately they aren’t real bad. I need to somehow really learn that there are consequences to my behaviors.
Ahhh … sorry about that, Susan … I think I must have used the English term … I think you would call it corn meal? (I’ll change it in the recipe)
Sounds like a good plan to have hubby there to keep you on the straight and narrow! I think I need to get mine to do the same with me!!
Moussaka is one of those recipes I enjoy watching others make on last night foodie t.v., something I would never attempt myself. And before this blog post, I couldn’t even give you an idea of what was even in moussaka so I’m hyped. Eggplant, I love eggplant. I have 8 eggplant in my fridge right now. Why? I don’t know, they were on sale at the grocery store for $1 a piece and I have an eggplant buying addiction. Plus I have 3 more growing in my garden so I better start using eggplant! Great recipe, eager to try. And I don’t mind recipes that take a little longer as long as they aren’t complicated which yours isn’t!!! Thanks for sharing.
Aw, so glad to have inspired you to try making a moussaka for the first time, Laura! Thanks for the encouraging comment (as always!) I don’t think you’ll find it tricky at all and it doesn’t really take that long … especially after you’ve already made one.
I’m definitely jealous of your $1 eggplants! Here in Oz, they are sometimes ridiculously expensive, and that’s a shame because they were so cheap and readily available when I lived in Greece. Of course!
This looks so great, Helen! I love all the ingredients here and nothing about it seems “light” in the bad way. Just delicious! I am pretty sure that, like you, I too would have indulged in the potato wedges with loads of dipping sauces. I also would have burned my mouth doing it, ha ha!
Phew, so glad it’s not just me that does ‘naughty’ things like that!
So glad you like the moussaka and don’t think it’s ‘boring light’!! haha! Although I say it myself, it is delicious and doesn’t taste lighter at all, although it is.
Hi Helen, my big weakness is sweets, cannot have them in the house as I will eat them all day long until they are gone. What a great dish you prepared here, love the yoghurt ‘béchamel!
Oh, me too! I’m not usually a fries kind of girl … usually it’s chocolate all the way!! haha!
Glad you love the moussaka .. the bechamel is pretty good. Easier for sure!