Mediterranean
The Frugal Foodie
From
The Frugal Foodie
season
2
episode
5
Cheats Moussaka with Bechamel Sauce
With
Steph De Sousa
Ingredients
500g lamb mince
1 eggplant
4 potatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp oregano leaves
1/2 cup shiraz wine
400g diced tomatoes
Bechamel: 50g salted butter
Bechamel: 1/4 cup plain flour
Bechamel: 3 cups full cream milk
Bechamel: 1 tsp allspice
Bechamel: 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Bechamel: 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded cheese
Method
Dice your eggplant and potatoes into bite-size pieces. Pop them in the air fryer with olive oil and salt, and cook at 200°C for 20 minutes, shaking halfway.
In a hot pan, brown your lamb mince with one diced red onion. Add tomato paste, allspice, cinnamon, and oregano, and stir for a minute. Pour in your red wine and crushed tomatoes, then simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat.
To make your bechamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepan, then add flour and stir. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth, then add allspice, parmesan, and mozzarella. Stir until thick and just boiling.
Now assemble: layer your potato and eggplant over the mince, pour the white sauce on top, and bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
Steph De Sousa
Steph De Sousa cooks as The Frugal Foodie, building recipes around what's already in the pantry and the produce nobody wants to throw out. Her style is straightforward and budget-aware without being austere: roast vegetable peelings, second-day rice, a freezer worked properly. She brings practical home rhythms to Savour and Wander.
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