Name: Elevated and Picky-Eater Friendly Moussaka
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 500g ground beef or lamb; 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1/2 cup red wine (optional); 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; Olive oil for brushing; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 1 cup grated mozzarella; 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 large egg, whisked; Fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional); Fresh oregano, finely chopped (optional)

Get ready to wow your taste buds with this elevated yet picky-eater-friendly Moussaka! This delicious dish combines layers of tender eggplant, savory meat sauce, and a creamy, cheesy topping that will leave everyone asking for seconds.

Jump to recipe

This will be my first CoPilot (in WhatsApp) recipe. And it was so great! I am definitely going to use CoPilot again!

I added CoPilot for WhatsApp (instructions here). Using it was super simple!

I started with the following ask:

Please give me a Moussaka recipe. Make it elevated and also picky eater friendly. I have fresh rosemary and oregano also, but only put them in the recipe if it makes sense. I don't have yogurt or ricotta. I do have heavy whipping cream, grated mozzarella and fresh mozzarella. so creamy topping needs to use these ingredients. Remember, I want it both chef-level complexity and flavor, and picky eater suitable.

And it responded:

*Elevated and Picky-Eater Friendly Moussaka*

*Ingredients:*

*For the Meat Sauce:*

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 large onion, finely chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 500g ground beef or lamb

- 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes

- 2 tablespoons tomato paste

- 1/2 cup red wine (optional)

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano

- Salt and pepper to taste

*For the Eggplant and Potatoes:*

- 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

- 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

- Olive oil for brushing

- Salt and pepper to taste

*For the Creamy Topping:*

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 2 cups heavy whipping cream

- 1 cup grated mozzarella

- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces

- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- Salt and pepper to taste

*For Garnish:*

- Fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)

- Fresh oregano, finely chopped (optional)

*Instructions:*

1. *Prepare the Meat Sauce:*

- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

- Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden.

- Add the ground beef or lamb and cook until browned.

- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine (if using), sugar, ground cinnamon, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. *Prepare the Eggplant and Potatoes:*

- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

- Brush the eggplant and potato slices with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

- Arrange them in a single layer on baking sheets and roast in the preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

3. *Prepare the Creamy Topping:*

- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes to form a roux.

- Gradually whisk in the heavy whipping cream, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.

- Remove from heat and stir in the grated mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.

4. *Assemble the Moussaka:*

- In a large baking dish, layer half of the roasted potatoes on the bottom.

- Add a layer of half the roasted eggplant slices.

- Spread half of the meat sauce over the eggplant layer.

- Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, eggplant, and meat sauce.

- Pour the creamy topping evenly over the top, spreading it with a spatula to cover the entire surface.

5. *Bake:*

- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

- Bake the moussaka in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

6. *Garnish and Serve:*

- Let the moussaka cool slightly before garnishing with finely chopped fresh rosemary and oregano, if desired.

- Serve warm and enjoy your elevated and picky-eater-friendly moussaka!

Bon appétit! 🍽️

How about that?

Looking at other recipes, I noticed the cream on top had egg so I asked:

Am I not supposed to add egg to the creamy topping?

It said:

Adding an egg can help with texture and binding, making the topping even creamier and more stable. So, yes, go ahead and whisk in one egg after the heavy whipping cream and cheeses have been combined. Just make sure to mix it in thoroughly. This will give it that extra luscious touch. 🍽️

Would you like to tackle another culinary creation?

So I asked:

Please update the previous recipe to include egg

And here's the delicious result:

Servings: 6

Calories per serving: 520

Total time: 2 hours

Elevated and Picky-Eater Friendly Moussaka

Ingredients:

For the Meat Sauce:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 large onion, finely chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 500g ground beef or lamb

- 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes

- 2 tablespoons tomato paste

- 1/2 cup red wine (optional)

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano

- Salt and pepper to taste

For the Eggplant and Potatoes:

- 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

- 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

- Olive oil for brushing

- Salt and pepper to taste

For the Creamy Topping:

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 2 cups heavy whipping cream

- 1 cup grated mozzarella

- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces

- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 1 large egg, whisked

For Garnish:

- Fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)

- Fresh oregano, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Meat Sauce:

- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

- Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden.

- Add the ground beef or lamb and cook until browned.

- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine (if using), sugar, ground cinnamon, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.