Moussaka (moo-sah-kah) is perhaps the most widely recognized greek dish. It is a layered casserole traditionally made with eggplant, cheese, meat sauce, and bchamel, a white sauce where warm milk is whisked into a butter-flour mixture. This recipe was created by tinkering with the traditional ingredients to make a lighter, lacto-vegetarian moussaka recipemashed chickpeas replace the ground meat, offering a similar texture. This is not a recipe for a busy weeknight as it is still quite time-consuming, but when you have the time to devote to prepping the vegetables and baking the dish, it will make an excellent dinner entree for friends and family. You can make part of this dish ahead but stop before making the bchamel sauce and refrigerate. Cook the bchamel sauce right before you intend to bake the moussaka.
