Beef and Aubergine Bake Slimming World

Love Moussaka but find it a little heavy? Try my healthy Moussaka Recipe which is lower in calories, incredibly delicious and still tastes authentic. Only 9 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per slice so feel free to indulge!

You will also love my Slimming World Lasagne

Published July 2013 | Updated August 2019

What is moussaka?

Traditional Greek Moussaka is a feast (or should that be a beast) of a dish – richly spiced slow cooked ground meat in tomato sauce layered with aubergine (eggplant) slices and topped with an uber-rich Béchamel sauce.

You will find moussaka on every taverna and Greek restaurant menu… but homemade moussaka ALWAYS tastes a million times better.

Lamb or beef moussaka?

Some recipes use lamb mince and others beef – neither is more traditional, it really comes down to personal preference. I have used beef in mine because you can easily find lean beef mince. Lamb mince also tends to release a lot of liquid when browning so it needs to be drained before using.

You can easily make a vegetarian moussaka by replacing the ground meat with vegetarian mince (such as Quorn) or with lentils. Watch this space, I will update this recipe with instructions for a veggie version.

Moussaka Variations

Some versions of moussaka – especially those in restaurants – use sliced cooked potatoes in one of the layers as well as aubergine. I prefer using only aubergine (eggplant) and I believe eggplant moussaka is more authentic.

You can freestyle and use sliced courgettes (zucchini), sweet potato or squash if you like. The sliced vegetables have to be cooked until soft before being added into the moussaka.

For a yummy Vegetarian Moussaka, replace the meat sauce with my Lentil Bolognese sauce.

Is Moussaka like lasagna?

This is a question my daughter asked! Some people refer to Moussaka as 'Greek lasagne' and it is true that the recipe is constructed in a similar way.

You have three separate elements – the meat sauce, vegetable slices and Bechamel – layered and cooked together in the oven. Unlike lasagna which contains pasta, moussaka uses sliced eggplant or a combination of potatoes and eggplant.

Close up on Greek Moussaka with slice taken out

Slimming World Moussaka

My mother only made this recipe occasionally because it is both labour intensive and very – and I mean VERY – rich. You need a good hour to recover after eating a slice.

Traditional Greek Moussaka is usually laden with lots of olive oil. The aubergine slices are fried before being used in the dish and aubergines have a tendency to absorb oil like a sponge so you can do the math… Delicious without a doubt but so, so heavy.

I have created a lighter moussaka recipe by using extra lean beef mince, grilling or pan-frying the aubergines and replacing the calorific Béchamel sauce with a topping made with fat free Greek yoghurt, feta cheese and eggs.

This low-syn version still tastes authentic and is mega delicious but not laden with as many calories and oil. I am sure you will love it as much as I do!

How to make moussaka step by step

PREPARE THE MEAT SAUCE

STEP 1. Lightly spray a pan or casserole with olive oil. Add the onions and garlic for cook, stirring, for five minutes.

STEP 2. Add the minced beef, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon. Brown the meat for a few minutes until nicely coloured.

STEP 3. Stir in the salt, sweetener (I used Sukrin Gold), thyme, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf.

STEP 4. Add the tomato puree (paste), passata, soy, fish and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine.

STEP 5. Stir in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and all the liquid has cooked down.

STEP 6. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and season with salt (if needed) and pepper.

Prepare the aubergine (eggplant)

STEP 1. While the meat sauce is bubbling away, slice the aubergine either widthways as I have done or in rounds. The slices need to be about 1 cm thick or a little thinner. Season with salt and spray with a little olive oil or low calorie cooking spray such as Fry light.

STEP 2. Pan fry the aubergine on a griddle pan for 3-4 minutes per side. Alternatively heat the grill (broiler) to high. Place the slices on a baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes per side until soft – watch they don't burn! Set the aubergine aside on paper towels.

Make the topping

STEP 1. Heat a tablespoon of low calorie spread (such as Flora Light) in a pan and then add the flour to make a paste (roux).

STEP 2. Stir in the Greek yoghurt and feta cheese. Mix until the sauce is well blended and smooth.

STEP 3. Take the pan off the heat and add the beaten eggs, mixing quickly so they don't scrabble. Season well with salt, pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Assemble the moussaka

STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Add a layer of meat sauce over an ovenproof baking dish (measuring at least 30x19cm /10 cup capacity) and pack it down.

Layering meat sauce in a baking dish for moussaka

STEP 2. Add a little of the sauce and layer with the aubergine slices.

Layering meat sauce, eggplant and cheese sauce to make Greek moussaka

STEP 3. Repeat with another layer of meat and more aubergine slices. Top with the remaining cheese sauce and scatter with the grated Parmesan.

STEP 4. Bake for 45 minutes then leave the moussaka to rest for at least 15 minutes or longer. Cut into slices and serve with a green salad on the side.

Tips for the Best Moussaka ever!

You can prepare the meat sauce up to a day in advance. Make sure the sauce is thick – you don't want a watery sauce to ruin your moussaka.
Season the cheese sauce. Even though feta cheese can add plenty of flavour you still need to season the sauce with a little salt and pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg.
Make sure the aubergine slices (or any vegetable you use) are soft before layering into the dish.
If you want to use potatoes or squash instead of/with aubergines then spray with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, spread in a single layer on a baking sheets and cook in a 180C /350F oven for 30 minutes or until they are soft if pricked with a fork.
Always rest the cooked moussaka for 15-20 minutes before slicing. It needs this time to cool down slightly in order to be firm enough to slice.
Moussaka keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge and tastes even better as leftovers! Reheat in the microwave until hot all the way through before serving.

Slimming World Syns

This recipe uses some of your healthy extra allowance for cheese. There's also 1 tbsp light spread (1.5 syns), 2 tbsp flour (4 syns) = 5 1/2 syns. This works out as negligible .5 syns per slice if you cut into 12.

You could also replace the feta cheese with fat free cottage cheese which is FREE. Make sure to season the sauce well as cottage cheese won't add the flavour feta cheese will.

There's 9 SmartPoints per slice for those following Weight Watchers.

Slice of Moussaka on a plate with rocket salad

AUBERGINE OR EGGPLANT? LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF!

DID YOU MAKE MY HEALTHY MOUSSAKA RECIPE? I'D LOVE TO SEE IT! Snap a photo, add hashtag #supergoldenbakes and tag @supergolden88 on INSTAGRAM

For the meat sauce

▢ Olive oil cooking spray
▢ 1 large white or red onion
▢ 3 garlic cloves , minced
▢ 750 g | 1lb 6.5oz extra lean beef mince
▢ 2 tbsp sweetener (Sukrin Gold)
▢ 2 tsp cinnamon
▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ Pinch ground cloves
▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
▢ 1 bay leaf
▢ 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
▢ 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
▢ 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
▢ 100 g | 3 1/2 oz tomato paste (purée)
▢ 400 g | 14oz Passata (preferably passata rustica)
▢ 300 ml | 1 1/4 cups hot beef stock made with 2 stock cubes

For the aubergine layer

▢ 3 large aubergines (eggplants) or 4 smaller ones
▢ Olive oil cooking spray
▢ Salt

For the topping

▢ 1 tbsp low fat spread
▢ 2 tbsp flour
▢ 450 g | 1 lb fat free Greek yogurt
▢ 200 g | 14oz Greek feta , crumbled (sub with fat free cottage cheese)
▢ 3 eggs , lightly beaten
▢ Salt and pepper
▢ Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
▢ 2 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional)

Make the meat sauce

Lightly spray a pan or casserole with olive oil or low calorie cooking spray. Add the onions and garlic for cook over low heat, stirring, for five minutes.
Add the minced beef, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon. Brown the meat for a few minutes until nicely coloured.
Stir in the salt, sweetener (I used Sukrin Gold), thyme, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf.
Add the tomato puree (paste), passata, soy, fish and Worcestershire sauces.
Stir in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and all the liquid has cooked down.
Discard the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and season with salt (if needed) and pepper.