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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Thanks for another amazing recipe! I have made this many times now with leftover turkey mince, with chicken and also lamb. It is superb every time. I love the topping – it is so easy and perfect. The aubergines always come out well too and I have always struggled to cook them properly before. It tastes delicious and is my favourite recipe now. Thanks again!
Hello Julie! How lovely to hear this! I make a moussaka from time to time but usually default to the traditional one with beef mince. You’ve reminded me to try this again soon because I really do like the easier topping. Thank you so much for the feedback. It makes me really happy to hear I’ve helped you to get the aubergine right. I felt the same when I discovered this way of cooking it. I find the traditional fried way makes the aubergines too greasy. Have you tried the stuffed peppers and tomatoes, too? (gemista) They do take a little bit of putting together, but then you have food for ages!
Hi Helen I have only just seen your reply when I came back to searching for the recipe after I mislaid my original printed version. It’s in the oven now and can’t wait. I have just looked up your gemista and that is definitely on the list for next time. Potatoes and rice is heaven to me! Not to mention the peppers and mince and tomato sauce. I think I will try it with Turkey mince. Thank you for your suggestion and kind reply! And for all the superb recipes and tips. Julie xxx
Hi Julie! Lovely to hear from you again. I’m so glad you managed to find the recipe again with no trouble, and of course I hope you enjoyed it as much as ever. The gemista does get very good reviews so I’m pretty confident that you’ll like that too. I’d love to know what you think! (It’ll be great with turkey mince!). So happy you’re enjoying the recipes! 🙂
Is it okay to substitute the nutmeg with ground cinnamon?
Hi Juliet, yes no problem. Or you could just leave the nutmeg out, as the meat already contains cinnamon. Hope you enjoy this – it’s one of my favourites!
Lovely post and recipe – yoghurt topping looks like it really works and your photos are sublime! I recently started making a bit of a riff on a much lighter Moussaka where you change the spicing a bit and subsititute a tahini crust (a bit like your yoghurt topping but mixed in with some tahini and no cheese) for the becahmel sauce – though I go a little rogue and throw in some shiitake mushrooms as well. In any case – really enjoyed reading your blog and I’ll be back 🙂
Here’s the recipe for the tahini crusted moussake if you’re interested! – https://timedeating.co.uk/the-lighter-middle-eastern-cottage-pie-spiced-beef-aubergine-and-a-tahini-crust/
Hello! Thanks so much for taking the time to pop by and post. Your tahini crust topping sounds sooo interesting! I have a big tub of tahini that I really should use up. And I can totally see how your ‘rogue’ mushrooms would work well, too.
I’ll definitely pop by and read your post! 🙂
This was fabulous – I added 2 lamb stock cubes to the mince and also increased the red wine and decreased water for the tomato puree (in equal amounts). I also used 0% fat Greek yogurt because that’s what I had on hand. I cannot believe how delicious this was AND low fat/no carbs. Only question I have is, can you freeze the leftovers?
Hello, Michele … I am delighted that you tried this and enjoyed it! As I write I have 2 portions of this in the freezer, so I’ll come back here and let you know how it was. My guess is that it will be fine. I do find that the yoghurt topping is best when freshly cooked as it goes a little ‘spongy’ when reheated, but not enough to bother me much. Thanks for your feedback – really appreciate it! 🙂
I hate it when my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I never seem to learn!
Love love love moussaka and I’ve never thought to use chicken in it to make it more healthy. Brilliant idea. This looks absolutely divine! 🙂
I’d never thought of it until now either – but it works a treat! Glad you like it, Tina! 🙂
Love your version of the bechamel sauce. I too would have not resisted the potato wedges but I might still have ended up eating a large dinner 🙂
I wish I could have eaten the large dinner! 🙂
I love eggplant moussaka and this one looks awesome!Thanks for the reminder , because I haven’t made it in more than a year and I would have to! I miss Greece!
Oh, me too, Mira! It’s my favourite – definitely Greek comfort food. I hope you get the chance to have some again soon!
Ok, so Helen … turns out you’re kinda my hero today. First, that seriously mind-blowing Banana & PB Pudding … and now this! I looooove moussaka, but it’s just really not always that healthy! At all! I am dying to try your version! Brilliant! (And yes, of course I’m pinning! The whole world should bask in the beauty of this! 😀 )
Aw, Shelley, thanks so much for the encouragement … I’m so glad I managed to impress you with this one!
My mom has been obsessed with making this lately, and I’m definitely telling her about your yogurt cheat. How clever! This look sooo amazing. I want some right now!
So glad you like the cheaty yoghurty topping, Chrissy. I hope your mom isn’t disappointed!
I do love Greek food and this lighter version would be most welcome in our house! 😀
🙂