Greek Moussaka with Bechamel Layered Eggplant and Meat Casserole

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice the eggplants into 1-cm rounds and the potatoes into 0.5-cm rounds. Arrange on the baking sheet, brush with 30 ml olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt.

Bake the vegetables for 20 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

While the vegetables bake, heat the remaining 15 ml olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.

Add the ground lamb and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it apart, until no longer pink. Stir in the minced garlic, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, whisk in the egg and parmesan until smooth.

In a 20x20 cm baking dish, layer half the potatoes and eggplant, then all the meat sauce, then the remaining potatoes and eggplant. Pour the bechamel evenly over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes at 200°C until the bechamel is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.